


How to Shag Your Sensei

by orphan_account



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Drug Abuse, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, M/M, Male Friendship, Masturbation, Teacher-Student Relationship, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-28
Updated: 2015-09-03
Packaged: 2018-02-06 14:38:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 130,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1861599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At the beginning of the semester Karakura High's English sensei, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, is convinced one of the new kids in his class is nothing but a typical 'trouble student'. But an unlikely friendship is formed when Kurosaki Ichigo eventually opens up to his teacher - and it all started with a narrative. </p><p>My first teacher/student fic!</p><p>**IMPORTANT: THIS STORY IS NOW ABANDONED AND WILL NO LONGER BE UPDATED** My sincere apologies to everyone who has invested time and interest in this fanfiction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Term, A New Day

**Author's Note:**

> So hello everyone and welcome to my current story-in-progress! 
> 
> I thought I'd try my hand at writing my first teacher x student scenario story. I am aware of how popular this theme seems to be, and I'm also aware of just how popular it is for Grimmjow and Ichigo to be used with this theme as well. However I will state here as I did on fanfiction that I haven't read any teacher x student fics before... and so if any of my work in this fic is similar in any way, shape or form to another author's work - that is entirely coincidental and NOT intentional!
> 
> This story is now being updated here on AO3 as well as fanfiction, by request of one of my reviewers (Mayuzu, if you're reading this - I hope you can enjoy this fic now! :D)
> 
> I will also give warnings here of drug/alcohol/domestic abuse in this fic as well as other dark themes later on, but as a whole it's meant to be a happy story good for the soul! Or something. 
> 
> There will be sexy times as well. I appear to be notorious for that :P 
> 
> Explicit rating for explicit sexual content later on and of course a colourful plethora of coarse language, thanks to, as always in the majority of my fics, Mr Jaegerjaquez. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! :D

Bells echoed around the school grounds of Karakura High, the trilling sound rising into an impatient blare, their deafening crescendo reverberating across pavements and walls.

The shrill ringing steadily became lost over the accompanying rumble of feet moving and voices yelling, students rushing to and fro to ensure they made it to their classes on time.

Arguments started within the corridors, fights ensuing over who would enter rooms first quickly escalating into angered brawls.

Teachers called for quiet, some moving to pull apart the rabble and others hurriedly shuffling along to their homerooms so they could prepare for the lesson.

Sighing and letting out a faint grunt of annoyance at the noise, his hand moving to raise the cup of coffee to his lips so he could take a sip of the welcoming liquid, the English teacher of Karakura High School, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, made his sluggish way towards class 1-3B.

Not particularly a morning person on the best of occasions, Grimmjow sighed again as he downed some more of his coffee, turning a corridor to head up the stairs and passing a group of senior students as he did so. He gave a nod of recognition to the students as they waved at him, otherwise continuing straight on his way without further interruption. A faint irate "tch…" passed his lips when a clamour of excited squeals nearly blew his eardrums out – a group of girls hugging and screeching ecstatically as they read off of the class lists to discover that they were in the same lessons for the term.

All these loud noises so early on in the morning were not doing wonders for his headache. Groaning faintly, he finished off his coffee and debated whether or not to take half the morning off to go back home and nurse what was quickly becoming a first-class migraine.

_Honestly, whoever the idiot was who decided school has to start so goddamn early really needs his ass kicked_ , he thought as he eyed a bin nearby. Raising his hand he angled his wrist and tossed the empty styrofoam cup dead into the centre of the garbage bag, the cup landing soundly inside with expert precision. Sticking his now free hand into his jeans pocket, he slouched his shoulders as he turned yet another corridor. He bit back a heavy groan when the door plaque reading 'Room 1-3B' came into view along the right-hand side.

The first day of term was always a drain on the mind. He loved his job, after all he was often regarded as one of the best English teachers the school had ever employed, but those few days at the start of each new study period straight after the holidays always ran on his nerves.

_I wish they'd get more holidays. No one should be up this time of day_ , he grumbled in his mind as he reached out a hand, sliding open the wooden door and bracing himself for the inevitable strain on his aching brain that would follow. Sure enough, the chatter and laughter that flooded the hallway as soon as the door opened was enough to wake the dead as he stepped through.

Heads lifted up, some conversations quietening down as he walked towards the teacher's desk, the students scrutinising him carefully as he placed his textbooks down upon the wooden surface.

"Alright, wrap it up people. Sit down, shut up, and pay attention." He called out, his rough-edged tone loud and clear over the voices of students who had yet to cease their talking. Sighing and pulling out a piece of chalk from his pocket, Grimmjow turned his back and made to write his name on the blackboard. When he had finished, he threw the chalk on the table and lifted his head to gaze at the new students he had for this second half of the year.

Some students were looking at him with eyebrows raised faintly, others turning their heads to murmur to one another.

Grimmjow brushed this off subconsciously like he did every semester; having been a teacher for five years, he was used to these types of reactions when he met new students. Standing tall at six foot one, his physique well-toned and his skin tanned, his hair an unruly tousled mass of blue coloured locks which accentuated the cyan blue of his irises along with the teal coloured tattoos lining his bottom eyelids, Grimmjow often had glances thrown his way whenever he walked into rooms.

He was quite a handsome man, 'deliciously so' as some of his female colleagues often noted to him, never failing to say in passing that he had a seductive appearance and voice to match which could most likely get any girl just by him standing there. Indeed, at 28 years old, he was referred to around the staff room and the remainder of the school by female teachers and students alike as Karakura High's most veritable 'Teacher I'd Like to Fuck'.

He brushed these comments off every year, simply ignoring them as mere background noise. It was amusing at first, but as his gaze briefly swept over the group in front of him and past the tables of girls in the front who were gazing at him with ogling eyes, it really did start to get more than annoying after a while.

"So, you're the new group, eh? I recognise a couple of ya from last semester." He continued as he noted some repeating students from the previous class sitting in the back row. He ignored once more the girls in the front who let loose delighted sighs as he spoke. "I don't even know  _why_ you'd fail last semester anyway, I mean it's not like you have to try hard to pass. It's just English for Christ's sake, not Kurotsuchi-sensei's Chemistry class." He grinned a little, his smile matching the wild appearance of his features as snorts of laughter rang out throughout the classroom.

It was an in-joke with the teachers and students of Karakura High that the teacher of Chemistry, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, was the resident 'Mad Scientist' and had succeeded in almost blowing up the laboratory on more than one occasion when students complained that his methods were far too complex to understand.

Reaching down to pick up his teacher's diary, Grimmjow flipped through the criteria pages to find the roll for this semester's class.

"Asano, put yer phone away." He called out as he found the page, taking it out and picking up a nearby pen.

One of the repeating boys from last semester seated in the middle row, Asano Keigo, lifted his head – his mouth comically wide in a large 'o' shape as he gaped at the teacher. The rest of the students turned their heads to look at him.

"S-sensei?" He stammered.

Grimmjow lifted his head, a blue eyebrow raised in amusement and a smirk on his lips.

"If you wanna text yer boyfriend, that's fine by me, but don't do it in class. It's painfully obvious you have your phone on ya. No one looks down at their crotch in class and smiles." He replied casually.

Asano Keigo's face went a humorous shade of red as the rest of the class broke out into fits of laughter. Keigo quickly turned his phone off and muttered a faint 'it's not my boyfriend' before bowing his head and avoiding the rest of the room's gaze. Grimmjow chuckled, moving to seat himself down on the teacher's desk and propping his feet up on a vacated chair in front of him. He was a very laid-back teacher, his street-style clothes and his sense of humour and the way he spoke instantly making him easy for his students to get along with.

"Ok, the sooner we do the roll, the sooner we can go over all the introductory shit and then the sooner we can get the hell out of here." He spoke louder, leaning back and placing pen to paper. He marked off the names of the students whom he had repeating his class and only focused on the newcomers.

"Abarai Renji?"

A male at the back with spiked red hair and the faintest hint of tribal tattoos on his forehead under a white sweatband raised his hand.

"Arisawa Tatsuki?"

An athletic looking girl with short spiked hair gave a faint grunt of acknowledgment. Grimmjow continued down the roll, receiving similar reactions to the first two students as he called out their names.

"Inoue Orihime?"

A busty girl with long orange hair sitting next to Arisawa waved excitedly, letting out a gasp as she accidentally knocked her entire set of textbooks and some of her bento box for lunch off of her desk. The girl flushed a bright shade of red in the face, fussing and giving a somewhat forced smile when the students around her picked the objects up and handed them back to her.

Grimmjow snorted a barely audible laugh.

_Freaking klutz._

"Ishida Uryuu?"

A boy with navy black hair and deep blue eyes framed by wire-rimmed glasses nodded his head from where he was sitting in the front row. Grimmjow looked back at the list. There were no students listed under 'J', so he moved on to the 'K's.

"Kuchiki Rukia?"

A petite woman with black hair and indigo eyes seated near the window looked up from where she was studying her textbook. Three more names after hers were called out. He read the next name on the paper.

"Kurosaki Ichigo?"

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow in amusement.

_'Strawberry', eh? Well, I've heard worse names_.

There was no reply from the class. Grimmjow lifted his head from the roll, gazing around the room.

"Kurosaki Ichigo?" He called out again, slightly louder in case the student hadn't heard him. Some of the class turned their heads and pointed to a teen who was sitting next to the window, beside Kuchiki Rukia. The girl flicked him on the shoulder, the youth stirring and shifting his attention from where he had been gazing outside. He frowned slightly at his friend before turning his head and looking at the teacher.

Grimmjow continued to have his eyebrow raised as he looked at the teen. The boy had bright orange spiked hair, boyish handsome features for what the teacher assumed to be a teen around the age of eighteen or nineteen, and warm brown eyes which were gazing into his with a thoroughly bored expression.

Grimmjow inwardly sighed. He could tell just by looking at this Kurosaki Ichigo kid that he had a difficult student to handle in his class.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, yeah? Or are you slightly deaf in one ear?" He drawled out, firing an equally bored look back at the teen. Two could play at this game.

Kurosaki gave a snorted laugh of annoyance, leaning back in his chair and lacing his arms behind his neck as his eyes continued to lock with the teacher's.

"I heard you the first two times, sensei." The boy replied.

Grimmjow smirked.

"You didn't reply. Normally that's customary here in a classroom, Strawberry." He reprimanded, ticking off the teen's name from the list.

"The name's 'Ichigo'. Normally it's customary in a classroom to get student's names right, unless you have trouble reading. Which I find slightly ironic for an English teacher." Came the quiet reply.

Grimmjow's eye twitched, his head shooting up to glare darkly at the orange haired teen who was leaning back in his chair, a faint smile quirking at the corners of the youth's lips.

The classroom was silent, the students glancing between the two and not daring to speak. The tension could be felt rising in the room.

Grimmjow continued to gaze with narrowed eyes at the teen.

_Oh? You think you're somethin' funny, do ya?_

Grimmjow was known to have a short fuse at the best of times, and it was taking him a great deal of self-control at this point in time to keep from retaliating at that smart-aleck remark. He had a definite problem child here, alright. He considered giving Kurosaki a week's worth of detention right then and there, but he held in the urge as he placed the cap back on his pen, standing up from the desk and heading back towards the blackboard after calling out the remainder of the names on the list, the last student, Sado Yasutora, giving a brief nod of his head when his name was ticked off.

He would see just how smart the kid thought he was when he received that night's homework.

"Piss-poor retorts aside, everyone open up your textbooks. The headmaster wants us to learn Shakespeare, but I think I say fer all of us that that guy's work is boring as shit. So we're gonna start with narrative." Grimmjow spoke up loudly, beginning to write down on the blackboard his notes for the class.

The rustling of paper and chairs shuffling sounded in the classroom as the students made to rule up new pages, copying down the topic and guidelines that their teacher was currently outlining for them.

The lesson began.

* * *

It was only an hour, yet those sixty minutes dragged on for what felt like an eternity.

Grimmjow had encountered his fair share of troublemakers and negligent students in class during his five years of teaching, even having been one of those very same types of students when he himself was in high school, yet never before had he encountered a student quite like Kurosaki Ichigo.

The orange haired boy remained a constant enigma to him throughout the entire lesson.

Grimmjow found that he couldn't exactly articulate the correct group of words to accurately describe the youth sitting next to the window. Throughout the study period, the blue haired teacher had been carefully observing the teen when the class were silently answering questions from the textbook.

The boy was attentive when doing work; even now, his head was bowed and his hand was sliding back and forth across his notebook, his pen scribbling away as he studiously completed his writing task. Yet when the class was called to attention, the boy would go back to gazing out at the window or, to Grimmjow's steadily growing irritation, he would keep a steady glance on Grimmjow himself for an extended period of time. When the blue haired male had lifted his head after reading out a section from his textbook to the class, he had found warm brown eyes staring at him as if assessing him in some fashion.

Grimmjow had simply returned the look, raising a blue eyebrow in expectation that the youth was about to say something, yet the teen had merely raised his own eyebrow in response and folded his arms across his chest.

When questioned if there was anything he needed to say out loud to the class, Kurosaki had only quipped back another of his smart-aleck replies.

Grimmjow sighed faintly as he ran a hand through his messy blue locks. His gaze flickered back over to Kurosaki, who was still leaning over his books and concentrating on his work.

The kid was a tough one to figure out, alright.

Turning his cyan blue gaze towards the clock at the back of the wall, Grimmjow noted that mercifully the lesson was due to end in a little under five minutes. He yawned slightly as he pushed away from the wall he was leaning against, stretching his arms above his head and ignoring the soft sighs of delight that issued from the female students when he arched his back a little in doing so.

He walked over to the teacher's desk, clearing his throat and drawing everyone's attention back to him.

"Ok everyone, you can stop straining yerselves now. Class is almost over, thank  _God_. Right, those questions all done? I'm assumin' you all actually know how to write a narrative properly now, yeah? Fairly straightforward, simplest way to put it: introduction, climax and resolution. Or in other words, you introduce the poor little sods you're gonna be torturin', include people who come fuck shit up, and then you get yer happy ending 'cos everyone loves a tear-jerker." Grimmjow continued, grinning as his explanation was met with scoffs and snorts of laughter from the class.

He lifted up a stack of papers from the teacher's desk, taking off the paper clip and passing around a sheet to each student.

"These are your narrative plans. Get 'em filled out tonight, I'll be checking them tomorrow's lesson. The narratives themselves will be due next Monday. So you have the weekend to work on 'em and  _yes_ , I  _am_ aware that you may have things planned but honestly I don't give a crap. It's the damn school's fault for makin' the holidays end so quickly. You're not the only one's who're missin' out on their sleep right now, ya know." He continued, passing around the sheets of paper and pausing as he stood next to Kurosaki.

Grimmjow handed the last remaining paper he had to the teen, the orange haired youth gazing once more up at the teacher before taking the paper with a slight scoff.

Grimmjow continued to stand there for a moment, his eyes challenging and silently daring the boy to make a smart remark this time around as the youth looked back up at him with his brown eyed gaze.

The orangette merely held his glance steadily with that of Grimmjow's, making no sign that he was going to comment on anything.

Grinning inwardly in triumph, being one to fully relish in having the last say in matters, Grimmjow nodded and made his way back to the front of the class.

"Alright, get out of here. Class dismissed." He spoke loudly once more, sitting down on the chair and kicking his legs up on the table as the bells blared once more over the speakers. He sighed and rubbed his forehead when the raucous clamour of chairs and voices filled the room, excitable chatter once more ensuing as the students gathered and pooled outside, their loud presence soon fading as they disappeared down the corridor.

Grimmjow let his head tilt back against the chair, gazing up at the ceiling as he ran a hand once more through his untidy mane of blue hair. It was then that he noticed that he wasn't the only one in the classroom.

Lowering his cyan blue gaze to the window, he frowned slightly when he saw Kurosaki Ichigo remaining standing, glancing over the paper in his hand with a look of careful consideration on his features.

Grimmjow sighed, checking his watch before turning his gaze back to the youth.

"Class  _is_ over, you know…" He pointed out, breaking the silence.

The teen lifted his head, turning to look at the teacher.

"Yeah, I know." He replied, adjusting his satchel over his shoulder before moving forwards to stand in front of the teacher's desk.

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, normally that means you  _leave_  the class? As in skedaddle … shoo… fuck off? That kind of thing?"

The teen snorted a laugh.

"I can't believe you're a teacher." He mused quietly, his lips twitching with amusement.

Grimmjow scoffed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Me either. Anyway is there some reason why you're bothering me right now, Strawberry?"

Ichigo looked back to the narrative plan.

"When you say on here we can choose a topic of our own choice… there's no limitation to that, is there? We can write about anything we want to?"

Grimmjow blinked.

"That's what it says, doesn't it?" He questioned, his tone amused.

The teen rolled his eyes.

"I know it does, believe it or not I'm actually  _not_ stupid. I just wanted to make sure that was ok."

Grimmjow leant back a bit more in his chair.

"It's fine by me, Kurosaki. What'd ya have in mind?" He asked.

A faint smile formed on the teen's lips.

"Nothing important. Thanks for that, sensei. See you tomorrow." He answered, placing the paper in his bag and giving a wave as he headed off towards the door.

Grimmjow eyed the teen carefully as he made to exit, wondering vaguely in the back of his mind what Kurosaki could possibly be planning on writing, and also marvelling faintly at the lack of witticism this time around on behalf of the orange haired youth. He shook his head, leaning forwards to gather his papers off the desk.

The blue haired male sighed, rubbing his forehead again.

_He's a definite enigma alright._

* * *

Resting his hands behind his head, his satchel clenched in his fists as he made his quiet way through the school hallway, Kurosaki Ichigo's brows were creased in deep thought.

His mind was filled with the events that had just occurred in his first English class of the new semester.

He hadn't meant to start off his day in such a shitty manner, by all means. But he couldn't help it. It wasn't something he did intentionally – on the contrary, every morning when he forced himself to wake up, he promised that he would try his best to embrace the new opportunities he was presented with. A new day was a new slate, a chance for him to try his hardest in all that he did so he could finally feel the sense of satisfaction that he was lacking in his life. A sense that he could finally do something which made him feel happy.

He worked the hardest he could in school. He obtained good grades each semester. But no matter what his achievements, he could never escape the harsh cruelty of what was reality.

He sighed heavily, beginning his descent down the stairs and turning the corridor at the end to make his weary way towards his next class.

That morning, he had been feeling particularly disheartened. He had even taken it out on his new teacher, though he had no intention of doing so in the first place.

Sighing again, Ichigo stretched his back a little to relieve some of the strain on his muscles.

He allowed his thoughts to turn towards the blue haired male who would be his new sensei for the rest of the year. His laidback attitude and the careless way he spoke, determined and brash in his opinions and actions, and his rather wild appearance – the markings under his eyes, his unusual choice of hair colour and his casual clothing giving the man an undeniably ruggedly handsome and boisterous air – was certainly an odd combination for what made one of the best English teachers of Karakura High.

In fact, the man could be likened most aptly towards one of the students, instead of one of the members of the teaching staff.

Ichigo allowed a faint smile to quirk on his lips.

He liked this new teacher, and some part of him actually enjoyed the bickering conversations that had made up their introductions to one another during that past hour. For the first time in a long time, Ichigo felt as if he could connect to someone on some degree, even if it was largely through smart retorts.

Absentmindedly reaching into the opened zip of his satchel, Ichigo's fingers brushed against the slip of paper which contained his narrative plan homework task for the night.

He chewed his lip in thought.

_I can write about anything, huh?_

His warm brown eyes slid to glance out one of the windows as he passed them by, his sight taking in the field of grass of the school's oval, and how the rays of golden sunlight reflected off of the crisp greenness of the leaves of trees with an almost poetic finesse.

He turned his head back to face the corridor.

_Thank God for that,_  he thought, a softened smile forming on his lips.

He walked into his next class, his mind filled with gratitude for his new sensei.

He didn't care that the blue haired male obviously had no high expectations for him to succeed in this writing task.

Writing was his passion, and he was determined to prove that to his teacher.


	2. Puzzle Me an Enigma

His hand paused, his arm freezing in its movement as he outstretched his fingers towards the brass doorknob. A sigh fell from his lips, his head bowing.

_That's right… Dad's home tonight_.

Warm brown eyes slid closed in an act of weary acceptance.

Trying to quell the all-too familiar feeling of repulsion which accompanied his thoughts every Thursday evening when he returned home, Kurosaki Ichigo steeled himself and grasped the door handle. His mind already working on his usual planned escape route for the night, walking over the threshold into the front foyer of his house, Ichigo slung his satchel off of his shoulders and stepped out of his shoes. Placing them on the floor by the mat, he continued slowly inside until he reached the kitchen.

Two heads turned, one mousey brown haired and the other black.

Ichigo gave a faint smile.

"Hey Yuzu, Karin." He greeted quietly when his sisters jumped out of the chairs they had been sitting in, running up to him and wrapping their slight arms around his waist. He knelt down so he was eye-height with the two, closing his eyes again and embracing them tightly.

"Onii-chan, I'm glad you're back!" Yuzu giggled happily. Ichigo grinned slightly.

"So am I, Yuzu. I missed you both." He replied. He gave them both a slight squeeze before letting go and standing back up.

"Is dad home?" He asked quietly, gazing into two pairs of brown eyes. The twins' expressions became guarded and sombre as they glanced at each other before turning back to look up at their brother once more.

"He said he'd be home tomorrow night instead. He's staying with  _her_." Karin ground out through her teeth.

Ichigo sighed, running a hand through his orange locks.

"I see…" He muttered.

That woman was the cause of half of the troubles that ripped the Kurosaki household apart almost all night, every night. He forced himself to relax and to allow another faint smile to cross his lips, even as his hand clenched by his side - at least it meant that the bastard they had for a father wouldn't be terrorising them for another day, he supposed.

"Have you two had dinner?" He asked, changing the subject.

His sisters nodded.

"There's some left for you in the kitchen, Ichi-nii." Karin spoke up as Ichigo continued on his way past them, rubbing their heads affectionately as he did so.

"I'll grab it later, I need to do my homework first. Thanks, though." The teen replied as he waved to the twins, beginning his ascent up the stairs.

Turning the corridor, he walked down the hallway and paused as he reached the door to his room. Pushing it open, he threw his satchel down onto the bed and settled himself in the chair by the computer desk. He leant back, tilting his head up to gaze at the ceiling.

A heavy sigh passed his lips.

The sky outside was alight with a deepened hue of crimson and vermillion, the clouds beginning their stretch across the surface of the sun and causing shimmers of broken rays to seep through the cracks of greyed white. The breeze flowing through his window was cool and gentle, serving to calm his mind as he leant forwards again, sifting through the contents of his bag.

If only life could be as relaxing and carefree as the reassuring touch of the wind against his cheeks at that moment. Lifting his gaze, he carefully regarded the afternoon sunset.

He pulled out the narrative plan, picking up a pen from his desk and uncapping the lid. Chewing the plastic absentmindedly as he pressed the pen to his lips, he re-read his homework instructions.

A brief flash of gold in his vision caused him to raise his hand to shield his face. A muttered "tch…" passing his lips, Ichigo sat up to draw the curtains over his window to block the blinding glare of the sun as it dipped below the tree line. He caught a parting of cyan blue underneath the clustered formation of clouds.

Despite himself, an amused smile pulled at the corner of his mouth as he became reminded of the cyan blue eyes of his new English teacher.

Settling himself back down into his chair, he pressed his pen to the paper.

He knew exactly what he was going to do. With this thought in mind, he wrote down the first words that came to him, his smile still pulling faintly at his lips.

* * *

The sound of the car door being slammed shut rang out over the parking lot, the flashing of headlights and the tell-tale clicking from the handles indicating the locking of the vehicle straight after.

Stuffing his hand holding his keys into his pocket, the other hand holding his textbooks and resting them against his hip as he walked towards the front doors of Karakura High, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez nodded briefly towards another of the school's teaching staff upon entering the building.

He began his casual stroll towards the classroom. His cyan eyes were glazed over in a look of deep concentration, his brows furrowing and his expression pulling into a faint scowl.

He didn't know why he had lost so much sleep over it last night – even this morning when he had eventually willed himself to wake up, his mind was once more assaulted by doubts and the annoying niggling thoughts concerning that Kurosaki Ichigo kid in his English class.

Try as he might, he just couldn't figure the young male out.

_If he was just the usual attention seeker or class kiss-ass then that'd be fine, I'd know how to deal with 'im. I'd give 'im detention for a week and purposely fail his assignments._

He continued to ponder this thought as he made his way up the stairs.

But Kurosaki Ichigo wasn't the typical shirk-off student. Grimmjow couldn't explain it. The kid was dedicated to his studies, that much he could see when he had observed the youth efficiently working through his notes yesterday morning. Yet when it came to interacting with him, it was almost as if the boy used his witty retorts as a means to create a mask to hide behind. He'd put on a cold air to retreat into some sort of inner self, as if he was afraid of speaking his own thoughts.

Despite his rather lackadaisical approach to life, Grimmjow was actually quite an astute man when it came to understanding one's character. Having spent most of last night going over these thoughts in his brain, he had come to these conclusions rather quickly about the teen, and he was determined to somehow get to the bottom of it.

_I'll see how he goes today. The narrative plans are due. If he didn't do his homework then I can safely assume that there's definitely something going on with him, and I'll try to ask him about it._

Giving a faint hum of approval at this plan, Grimmjow halted outside of the room marked 1-3B. His eyes continued to remain narrowed in thought he reached out to open the door, stepping inside just as the school bells blared around the corridor to signify the start of class.

* * *

Ichigo heaved a quiet sigh as he turned his gaze back from the window, glancing up at the words being chalked out on the blackboard by his sensei, the teacher's voice ringing out in the silent class as he talked the students through the notes he was supplying.

He was glad that the teacher was so laid-back. The jokes and quips that he welcomed the class with upon entering the room had certainly made to lighten up the monotonous mood that always accompanied the knowledge that this was the first lesson of the morning.

Ichigo had even allowed himself to laugh along quietly with his classmates at the teacher's smirking insults towards Asano Keigo again, the teen having been caught on his phone once more and reprimanded before the lesson had officially started.

Those few moments of welcomed peace had served to calm the dread in Ichigo's mind, even if only for a moment.

Now that the class had resumed silence, he found his mind straying back towards the knowledge that when school ended, he would have to make his way back home.

His father was coming over tonight. The very thought made his hands clench.

Sighing again, Ichigo closed his eyes briefly, willing himself to still his mind. He instead focused on anything else which would hopefully detract from his mental torment, finding his gaze settling on his teacher and quietly observing the way the tall man reached up to write on the board. His movements were fluid and precise, even down to the handwriting donning the blackboard as his hand crossed to and fro across its dusted surface.

Taking in the unruly blue locks of hair, the teal eye markings and the man's clothing hugging his clearly well-toned physique, Ichigo found himself likening the man as having a somewhat feline grace and wildness about his features.

He continued to regard him carefully, wondering who the hell was out of their mind when they employed some guy like this as a teacher.

"You alrigh' there, Kurosaki?"

Ichigo blinked, stirring from his thoughts and observations only to find himself the centre of the class's attention, the teacher having turned around and raised a blue eyebrow towards the youth, the sensei having noticed his eyes trained on him.

Ichigo shifted a little in his seat, giving a faint frown.

He hated being called out in class. He disliked the feeling of being so conspicuous.

"Yeah." He replied simply, his warm brown eyes locking with cyan as the teacher continued to gaze at him. An expression of faint concern was on the blue haired males' features. Ichigo shifted a little in his seat once more.

"You sure? Did you need to go outside for a bit?" The teacher continued, setting his piece of chalk down on the desk and crossing his arms over his chest.

Ichigo shook his head.

"No. Did you?" He answered coolly, raising an eyebrow in return to the look being given to him. A few scattered sniggers rang out throughout the class. A snorted scoff was his response from the teacher, the blue eyed man picking up his chalk again as he turned his back to face the blackboard once more.

"Yeah, yeah, real cute…" The sensei muttered.

Ichigo grinned faintly.

"While we're on the subject, I suppose you can enlighten us by telling everyone what I was just talking about?"

Ichigo frowned slightly again when the teacher had spoken up once more, turning back around and gazing pointedly at the orange haired male, his eyebrow still raised.

Ichigo sighed.

"You were talking about revolutionary English authors and discussing how they used literary techniques to change the modern worlds' perception of classical literature. You also told us to, and I quote-unquote, 'forget about Shakespeare, because his work is a bunch of verbal garbage that even by any other name would still smell as shite'."

The teacher blinked, his eyes widening. The class had also turned their heads once more to gaze back at Ichigo.

"… Fuck. You really  _were_  payin' attention…" The sensei murmured quietly, his tone bemused.

Ichigo shrugged.

"I agree with you." He spoke up again, drawing the teacher's attention back to him when the blue haired man was just about to turn back to the blackboard.

If the sensei's expression was shocked before, it was nothing to what was written on his face now.

Cyan blue irises were trained intently on warm brown, the man's features pulled into a look which clearly communicated that he was at a complete loss for words. An odd expression came into his eyes, and Ichigo had the distinct feeling that the teacher was scrutinising him carefully, as if searching his face for some sign that this wasn't another of Ichigo's quips.

"You do?" His rough voice was stunned. Ichigo sighed, leaning forwards in his chair a little. He nodded.

"Sure. I mean he could make a few plays and create half of the modern English vocabulary that we use today, but so much attention is focused on him when his work is hardly anything which sparks true imagination. Writing is all about thoughts and feelings, and Shakespeare's work, to me, is just laughable in terms of that." He explained.

There was complete silence in the room.

Ichigo tried to avoid the gazes of his classmates. He continued to keep his eyes trained on his teacher, gauging the man's reaction.

A faint smile pulled at the corner of the sensei's lips, his eyes softening into a look of approval and something which seemed akin to mild wonder. Ichigo quickly lowered his head, feeling his cheeks heat up under the public scrutiny of the class.

Mercifully, he was spared a response from the teacher as the school bells blared outside in the corridor.

The class stirred, scattered murmurings erupting as students closed their books.

"Alright, lesson's over. Hand me your narrative plans on the way out. Remember, your actual narratives are due on Monday, so get yer asses into gear over the weekend, yeah? Oi, Asano, keep yer fuckin' phone in yer pocket until you're actually  _outside_  the class!" The teacher had resumed his normal tone, speaking up loudly and almost having to rise into a near-yell to ensure he would be heard over the ensuing chatter emanating from the class as they moved out of their seats.

Ichigo slowly stood up, reaching into his bag to pull out the piece of paper he had worked on yesterday evening.

Waiting for a group of students ahead of him to clear the doorway, he tried to look anywhere but at the teacher as he handed out his sheet, the sensei taking it when Ichigo passed him by.

The orange haired youth chanced a glance to the taller man, watching as he read the words on the paper that he had just been handed.

A blue eyebrow raised, cyan eyes focused on the plan. Ichigo allowed a small smile to form on his lips as the teacher turned his head to look back at him.

The amusement was clearly evident in the sensei's gaze.

Ichigo raised his hand in a wave, his smile turning into a wide grin as soon as he stepped outside and into the corridor.

* * *

The paper was held loosely in his hand, his gaze once more sweeping over the neatly marked handwriting.

Blue eyes closed, his free hand pressing against his forehead and sweeping some stray locks of hair away. His lips pulled into a faint grin, the teacher giving an amused chuckle.

_The kid really is an enigma._

Sighing quietly and opening his eyes once more, Grimmjow found himself re-reading the small sentence which he had been focusing on for the most part of half an hour now.

It was only one sentence, yet Kurosaki Ichigo's chosen words somehow kept on drawing him in, once more resurfacing the need to somehow form some understanding of just what went on in that boy's head.

_"As imagination bodies forth the forms of things unknown, the poet's pen turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing a local habitation and a name."_

Underneath this quote lay a lightly scrawled " _the only thing Shakespeare got right_."

Another amused scoff left Grimmjow's lips.

"Shakespeare, eh?" He murmured quietly to himself, his lips still pulled into a faint smile.

He sighed, leaning back against the couch he was sitting on. He tilted his head to gaze at the far end of the room, blue irises eyeing the billboards and notes posted on the teacher's lounge walls, yet not taking anything in. His thoughts had strayed once more back to that morning's English lesson.

Kurosaki's sudden unexpected admission regarding Shakespeare's work had not only left Grimmjow in complete and utter amazement at how startlingly similar those thoughts were regarding his own views on the matter, but it had also shown that the youth had allowed himself to open up enough to finally emerge from that mask of retorts and witticisms that he hid behind. Even if it was only for a moment, and only about one subject.

Grimmjow could see that the orange haired teen's mind was filled with far more complex thoughts than he cared to let on, his 'problem student' façade being an easy excuse to detract away from this.

His eyes narrowed faintly, his brow creasing in thought.

_Why does he feel like he has to hide? The kid definitely has a brain. It's like he doesn't want to use it._

He lowered his gaze back to the words scribbled on the youth's narrative plan.

The sound of a door opening, voices pooling into the room and seemingly reverberating around the walls drew his attention back to the front of the teacher's lounge.

"Hey, hey, hey! How's it goin', Jaegerjaquez?"

The blue haired male snorted in amused annoyance, raising his hand and sticking his middle finger up at the blond haired Music teacher, Hirako Shinji, as the man grinned widely at the English sensei in return. He merely waved in response before making his way over.

Letting out a sigh of content as he settled himself down on the opposite couch, Hirako continued to smile his unsettlingly wide grin, displaying his array of teeth as he looked back at the taller man once more.

"Harassing everyone already, Hirako-sensei? Surely it's too early in the morning for that." Came a smooth voice from behind the two.

The pair lifted their heads to find the shoulder length pink haired, fair skinned form of the Biology teacher, Szayelaporro Granz, walking forwards to seat himself down on the couch next to Grimmjow.

Hirako snorted a laugh, shrugging.

"Who cares? It's not like there's anything better to do in the mornings." He replied, waving the comment off.

Scoffs of amusement fell from the other two's lips.

"You're in here early this morning, Grimmjow. Did you skip class again?" Szayel spoke up, turning his head to gaze at the man in question, his bespectacled amber eyes alight with amusement. Grimmjow snorted a laugh, shaking his head.

"Nah, not this time." He responded, grinning.

He received two chuckles from his friends in response.

More raucous noise issued from the doorway as the remainder of the teaching staff entered. The two men sitting with him fell into conversation.

Grimmjow leant down to pick up the cup of coffee he had on the table, taking a sip of the warm beverage before narrowing his eyes once more in thought.

"Hey… did any of you ever teach a kid called Kurosaki Ichigo?" His rough-edged voice was quiet as he raised his gaze, speaking up suddenly after a moment of silence.

Hirako and Szayel turned their heads to gaze back at him, their eyebrows raised in slight confusion. The Music teacher hummed quietly, tapping his index finger against his chin.

"Is that the orange haired kid?" He asked, his grey eyes meeting blue. He received a nod in response.

Hirako shrugged.

"Not actually taught him, no. I've seen 'im around though. Seems like a nice enough kid." He replied, folding his arms behind his head.

Grimmjow turned to look at the pink haired man beside him.

"He was in my Biology class last semester." Szayel answered, chewing his bottom lip slightly in thought. "He's a good student. Very attentive."

Grimmjow gave a faint murmur of agreement.

"What were his grades like?" He asked, leaning back against the couch more.

The other two exchanged brief glances of confusion.

"Above average, for the most part. A lot of B's and A's. He's a very intelligent young man." Szayel continued. He raised an eyebrow in a questioning look. "Why do you want to know?"

Grimmjow sighed, running a hand through his unruly locks. He wasn't entirely sure of that himself.

"I'm havin' some trouble gettin' through to him. One minute we're bickering in class, the next we're having an actual conversation. He has a lot of things going on in his mind. I just wanna find out as much as I can so I can find out how to help him." Grimmjow admitted quietly.

Two pairs of eyes were trained on him intently.

"It's only the second day of term, Grimm..." Hirako blinked, his eyebrow raising further. Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"Didn't think you could count, Hirako. That's a mighty fine achievement of yours you've got goin' there." The English teacher replied coolly. Szayel scoffed a laugh from where he was sitting, the Biology teacher leaning against the couch pillow and clearly enjoying where this light-hearted argument was headed. Hirako rolled his eyes, shifting forwards and punching Grimmjow on the arm, the blue haired man grinning as he batted the blond's hand away.

"Shut up, asshole. All I'm saying is that it's a little too early to start worryin' about things, isn't it?" The Music sensei continued, ignoring the insult directed towards him. Grimmjow sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Probably." Was all he replied with. Seeing that he wasn't going to get any further response than that, Hirako scratched his chin absentmindedly, his grey eyes thoughtful. Presently he spoke up again.

"Well what about Ukitake? He's the counsellor… surely he'd have some info for ya?" He suggested.

Grimmjow rested his chin on his palm, leaning his elbows on his knees.

"I don't think he's the type of kid to go see a counsellor somehow…" He muttered faintly, his blue eyes focused on the window and gazing outside, deep in thought.

"If that's the case, then it's a possibility there's some issues at home with his family. You can leave him to sort it out by himself if he doesn't want help, but if you're so worried by this maybe try getting him to talk about it?" Szayel ran a hand through his locks, brushing some strands of pink hair past his cheek as he did so, gazing at Grimmjow expectantly as he finished speaking.

Grimmjow gave a faint grunt of agreement, finishing off his coffee.

"Yeah... I know, I know… I was thinking I'd probably have to do something like that... thanks, Granz."

The Biology teacher gave a satisfied smile in response, raising his own coffee cup to his lips and taking a sip.

Grimmjow found himself once more lost in his inner mind as his gaze returned to the window, observing the branches of trees swaying in the breeze which had picked up outside. Clouds had begun to form in the distance.

Mulling over his friend's words in his head, he sighed quietly. He decided that he would keep Kurosaki behind after next class so he could take the opportunity to speak to the kid.

He lowered his head back to the narrative plan.

He folded it up, placing it in his pocket.

* * *

"Ichigo!"

The call of his name from somewhere behind him made the orange haired teen pause in his steps. Frowning slightly in confusion, he turned to find the petite form of Kuchiki Rukia racing up to him, her hand raised in a wave.

Ichigo allowed a smile to form on his lips, waving his hand in return as she drew up beside him, panting slightly.

"It's about time you stopped, I've been trying to catch up to you for about ten minutes now." The small woman gasped faintly, bending over to rest her hands against her knees in some effort to get her breath back.

"Sorry about that, Rukia. I guess I wasn't paying attention." Ichigo gave an apologetic grimace.

Rukia snorted a laugh as she drew herself back up.

"Obviously." She scoffed.

Ichigo managed a faint chuckle.

He continued forwards, Rukia matching his pace as she adjusted her bag on her shoulders.

"Are you feeling ok, Ichigo?"

The orangette's brows drew together in confusion as he looked back down at the girl.

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused.

Rukia glanced back up at him.

"I don't know… you were pretty weird in class today. Well, you're weird in class  _every_ day… but that was the first time in these past two days you've managed to talk to Jaegerjaquez-sensei without him looking like he was going to drop a detention over your head."

Ichigo blinked, closing his brown eyes momentarily as he turned to gaze back at the street in front of him. He gave a quiet sigh.

"Yeah… I guess it was." He murmured.

Rukia raised an eyebrow.

"Care to spill?"

Ichigo sighed again, strands of orange locks brushing past his forehead as the breeze picked up in the afternoon sunlit street. He gazed up at the golden-tinged sky.

"It's not important." He answered simply.

Rukia rolled her eyes, sighing heavily and making to punch her friend on the shoulder as she strode forwards, raising her hand in a wave of goodbye.

"Fine, be like that and brood. Have a good weekend, Ichigo. I'll see you on Monday." She called out, her figure disappearing around the next street corner.

Ichigo blinked again, his brown eyes gazing with mild confusion at the sudden farewell he had received. He stopped walking. Letting out a heavy groan, he found the cause of Rukia's parting. He was standing outside of his home, the painted white  _Kurosaki Clinic_ above the front door drawing out once more the feeling of dread which he had desperately been trying to suppress for the most part of the day.

_He's here tonight. That means she'll be here_.

Clenching his fist, Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he made his sluggish way forwards, pulling open the front door and moving inside. Two pairs of shoes which he recognised belonged to his sisters were already placed down on the mat.

Letting out a faint sigh of relief, Ichigo knew that he could relax at least for a little while longer, seeing as his father had still not arrived. Slipping out of his school shoes he hoisted his bag off of his shoulder.

"Yuzu? Karin?" He called out, glancing around the immaculate lounge room and roomy kitchen, seeking some sight of his siblings.

A muffled "welcome back, Onii-chan!" from the second floor alerted Ichigo that Yuzu was in her room. He grinned, reaching out to pick up an apple from the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter as he began making his way over to the stairs.

He arrived on the second floor landing, turning left and knocking on his sisters' room. Poking his head through when the door opened, he received two waves from his siblings inside. They were doing their homework.

"Did you have a good day at school, Ichi-nii?" Karin asked, raising her head from her work.

Ichigo nodded, smiling faintly.

"Yeah, did you?"

He received two happy nods in response.

Satisfied with this, he moved away from the doorframe.

"I'll be in my room if you need anything." He spoke, closing the door as he walked back along the length of the corridor, reaching his bedroom.

Taking a bite of the crisp apple, he turned the doorknob and settled himself down onto his bed, sighing as he chewed his food. He gazed unseeingly up at the ceiling.

Trying to settle his turbulent mind to allow himself some moments of rest before the evening came, he willed himself to calm down. He closed his eyes, silently relishing in the cool caress of the breeze from the open window against his warm skin.

His thoughts turned towards that morning's English lesson yet again. Vaguely pondering at what his English teacher's thoughts were upon receiving his narrative plan, Ichigo couldn't help the faint smile that drew over his lips.

With this rather amusing thought settling at the front of his mind, Ichigo's head fell to the side against his pillow.

Within moments, he had fallen asleep.

* * *

The faint sound of a car's engine stalling outside rumbled from down below.

Doors opening and slamming shut accompanied two voices, one masculine, the other feminine.

Keys could be heard fitting the door lock, the handle turning moments later.

The door opened, two figures stumbling inside, laughing raucously.

From his room, Ichigo's hands clenched atop his computer desk. He subconsciously grit his teeth, his features creasing into a look of anger.

_How could he?_  He found himself viciously thinking for not the first time since that day five months ago.

A loud call of his sisters' names emanated from the first floor, Ichigo hearing the next door along the corridor opening and footsteps making their way across the hall outside.

Ichigo bit his lip, counting down the seconds.

Sure enough, he did not have to wait long.

"ICHIGO! GET DOWN HERE, NOW!"

The orange haired youth felt his temple throb, his knuckles turning white against his skin from his clenched hands as he slowly rose from his chair.

Willing himself to keep his rage in check, he stuffed his notepad and a spare pen inside his pocket. He knew he would be needing them.

Each step was slow and deliberate as he stomped out of his room, his brown eyes hard. Below, he saw movement.

Taking his time down the stairs he halted halfway on the last step. The muscles in his jaw tightened.

A middle-aged man with greying black hair had his back facing him. He was dressed in a formal suit, its once clean-pressed fabric now rumpled and dishevelled. Ichigo could smell the rancid scent of alcohol, his father obviously having gone drinking that night.

Beside him, her slurred voice trilling over Yuzu and Karin, was that woman who was the cause of everything bad that had since occurred in Ichigo's life for these past five months.

Her strawberry-blonde waves of hair cascaded over her back, her wide eyes an ice blue which were caked over with heavy black eye makeup. Her skimpy red dress hung off of her shoulders, doing nothing to support her extensive bust. She wavered on her feet, her ankles rolling in her heels as she giggled, clasping onto his father's arm in an effort to steady herself in her drunken stupor.

Ichigo felt bile rise in his throat at the scene – barely able to keep his rage in check, he stepped onto the landing and brushed past, not even sparing the two a moment's glance back.

This…  _this_ was his father's replacement for his mother?

Ichigo's teeth clenched.

Pathetic.

_She is and will_ never _be anything like mum._

He sneered as a hand reached out and roughly grabbed him on the shoulder. Ichigo tried not to gag as the foul scent of scotch and whiskey filled his nose.

"Oi, Ichigo… the hell d'ya think you're goin'?" Ichigo's father, Kurosaki Isshin, blurted out as he wheeled Ichigo around to look at him. The man's brown eyes were bloodshot, and though for the most part unfocused, still surprisingly attentive.

Ichigo steeled himself, pushing his father's hand away.

"Out." He replied simply.

His father snorted a laugh.

"We jus' got home, the least you could do's greet us. I din't raise you up to be 'n ungrateful little brat, boy." His father continued, his eyes darkening.

Ichigo bit out a sarcastic laugh, his eyebrow raising.

"No, you sure as hell didn't. Until you met that bimbo over there." Ichigo retorted sharply.

The woman hanging off of Isshin's arm swayed a little, a hiccup falling from her lips as she rubbed her head against the crook of Isshin's neck.

"Baby… 'M tired… wha's goin' on?" She murmured, her voice still heavily slurred. She blinked, her eyes glazed in her tipsy state.

Isshin shoved her away briefly, making the woman stumble and grip the countertop, a surprised and drunken giggle leaving her mouth as she plunked down unsteadily onto the chair nearby.

"What's wrong with Rangiku?" Isshin snapped, his voice a low growl and surprisingly clear for someone who had evidently had far too much to drink.

Ichigo's gaze was hard.

They had this conversation every single time.

"You  _know_  what." He hissed, his arms crossing over his chest. "Mum's dead, dad. She died five months ago. You shack up with this whore and you expect her to somehow fill that hole in your heart? Can't you see what you're doing to this family?! Yuzu and Karin can't even look at her, they don't know the meaning of the word 'mother' anymore! You two don't even come home! We're left to fend for ourselves here when we're supposed to be a family, dad! Masaki was a beautiful, gentle and kind-hearted person who would  _never_ want to see her kids treated like this, and if you think you can just—"

Ichigo's angered outburst, his voice steadily rising into a yell over the course of his sentence, was cut off by his father who had slammed his fist down onto the table.

Isshin's eyes and face were alight with wrath.

"Don't you  _EVER_ talk to your father like that, boy!" He yelled, his tone lethal. He rounded on Ichigo, grabbing the youth's collar by the fist and pressing his face in so close to the teens' Ichigo had begun to gag from the man's fetid alcohol-laced breath. "You don't know fucking shit, you ungrateful bastard! You don't know the hell I've been through. Don't you  _EVER_ say Masaki's name to me, EVER AGAIN!"

Ichigo's eyes were burning with angered tears as he yanked his father's hand away, shoving the man back with a push of his elbow.

"AND WHY NOT? YOU'RE FALLING APART, DAD! WE ALL LOVED MUM!  _YOU_  LOVED HER! SO WHAT DO YOU DO THE SECOND SHE DIED? YOU RUIN HER MEMORY AND EVERYTHING THAT SHE WAS! IF YOU THINK THAT… THAT WOMAN… IS SOME SORT OF REPLACEMENT FOR HER, YOU ARE SADLY FUCKING MISTAKEN!" Ichigo was panting heavily, his voice having risen into a scream.

The silence in the room was deafening.

Rangiku had paused from tilting her hand towards a bottle of sake which had been left on the counter.

Yuzu and Karin had quickly ducked into the lounge room, their eyes wide as they gazed with shock at their normally level-headed brother's outburst.

He and their father were always yelling at each other like this, but it had never been this bad before.

Kurosaki Isshin stood before his son, his eyes widened into an expression which clearly communicated a mix of both shock and livid rage perfectly melded into one. His bottom lip was quavering. His limbs were trembling.

Ichigo continued to pant heavily, his body shuddering with white-hot anger.

"Get out."

Isshin's voice was a hoarse whisper, his head bowed.

Ichigo sneered.

"I was planning to." He snarled back as he took off, his steps quickening into lengthened strides as he threw the front door open, slamming it shut behind him.

He grit his teeth, his mind raging as he burst into a sprint, his legs pumping quickly as he tore down the street, the last rays of the afternoon sun dipping below the tree line.

He already knew where he was going.

His eyes brimmed with warm tears.

He continued on, the wind whipping mercilessly at his back.

He needed to get out. He needed to escape.

Almost knocking over two women who had turned the sidewalk, he didn't even spare a quick apology as he raced on and on, his lungs burning from the need to fill with more oxygen.

Running faster, the last mile stretched ahead of him. Only when the wide green fields of the park before him opened out before the road did he think of slowing down his pace.

Gasping heavily for breath he stumbled over towards a patch of grass underneath a withered oak tree.

It was his special spot, the one place he could seek to find solitude during these past five months of hell.

He threw himself down, ripping out the notepad and pen he had stuffed into his pockets and moving to rub his arm over his eyes, dampening his tears on his shirt sleeve.

He tilted his head back against the gnarled bark of the tree, his watered brown eyes closing as he took in gasps of air, willing his heart to cease its fevered pounding.

A few moments went by, the silence only broken by his hitched gasps. Ichigo sighed heavily, his chest heaving as he lowered his head, uncapping the pen lid and placing his pen to his notepaper.

Dabbing furiously at the last remaining tears at the corners of his eyes, he slowly raised his gaze.

Not for the first time had Ichigo found himself in this position – running away from home to come to the park. Writing was his means of escape, his way of trying to forget about what his father had done to his family.

It was where he could shed tears in private, and allow himself to become swept away by his mind as imagination took hold.

Normally Ichigo would draw upon the natural elements around him to stimulate his thought process – the gentle swaying of the branches of the oak above him in the cool evening breeze; the glorious vermillion sunset painting the sky a thousand stories of light, each wisp of cloud capturing the golden caress in an intimate embrace; civilisation and people moving to and fro, always striving for something which they had yet to know; couples walking with dogs, children playing, families… everything that Ichigo couldn't have, everything he couldn't be a part of he drew upon for his inspiration.

He wrote the life which he wish he had. It was all he had known for these past five months.

Drawing his hand across his page, he pressed the inked tip of the pen to the lined surface.

He wrote his title for his narrative.

With only the silence around him, here in the late evening sunset of the park, he drew upon his latest inspiration and began to write.


	3. Melting the Ice

"Man, I'm beat. It's about time we finished already."

Two murmurs of agreement were Hirako Shinji's response, the blond haired Music teacher stretching his arms above his head as he paused outside, turning around to wait for the English and Biology teachers to catch up to him.

Grimmjow let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck as he fished around in his jeans pocket for his keys. Alongside him, Szayel had found his car keys from his coat pocket and was already swinging them around in his hand, the metal jingling as he did so.

"You guys got any plans for the weekend?" Hirako asked as they drew up alongside him, the three continuing on their way to the staff car park.

"Nothing exciting. Let's see, I have marking, marking, marking, and… oh yes, marking." Szayel sighed, rolling his amber eyes and pushing his glasses up with his free hand.

Grimmjow and Hirako snorted a laugh.

"Freaking workaholic. You need to learn to loosen up a bit more." Hirako scoffed, grinning toothily.

Szayel raised a fine eyebrow at the blond.

"And you should learn to actually begin taking an interest in your class's work, Hirako. God knows how many students you passed last semester when they didn't even bother submitting their assignments." The pink haired male reprimanded.

Hirako's mouth pulled into a scowl, the blond slouching his shoulders and kicking some loose gravel on the pavement in front of him.

"Alright that's enough, ladies." Grimmjow spoke loudly, his lips pulling into a grin.

Szayel and Hirako scoffed.

"What about you, Jaegerjaquez? Got anything special planned?"

The blue haired man grunted faintly in response to the blond, having found his keys and sighing as he ran a hand through his tousled blue locks. His cyan eyes were gazing ahead of him, spying his car in the distance. He fell silent for a moment, lost in thought.

He had no special plans for the upcoming two days, but the conversation in the staff room that morning continued to burn brightly in his mind.

"Nah, not really." He murmured quietly.

Hirako nodded.

"You guys wanna come down to the bar tonight? There's a new one that opened up around the corner from town. Somethin' called 'Visored Blue'. Could be worth a try."

Szayel shook his head.

"No, afraid not Hirako. I promised Yylfordt I'd pick him up from basketball tonight. Lazy-ass brother of mine, I swear…" He muttered, sighing in agitation.

Grimmjow and Hirako grinned their amusement.

"See you two. Enjoy your evenings." Szayel called out, stopping by his car as the other two men continued on. They waved in response, nodding back before heading on their way and weaving through the rows of vehicles which were parked around them.

"So just you and me then, Jaegerjaquez?" Hirako questioned.

Grimmjow considered this for a moment.

On the one hand, a night out would certainly be welcomed, seeing as the beginning of the school term after four weeks of holidays was always quite stressful. But on the other hand a night out with Hirako Shinji did far less to calm the mind than it did to in fact make it worse. The man was far too lively for his own good, especially when he had consumed a few drinks.

"Think I'll pass on that one. Sorry Hirako." Grimmjow grimaced slightly, remembering only far too well the last time he had spent the night out drinking with his friend. Hirako had to be dragged to the local police station on numerous charges of boisterous activity towards the club patrons. And also something involving a rather embarrassing incident with a pole.

Hirako's mouth fell open into a comical expression of disbelief.

"The hell's yer problem? First Granz, now you! Why don't you wanna come out with me? I'm the king of partying!" He whined, throwing his hands up in dismay.

Grimmjow snorted a laugh.

"Yeah, somethin' like that…" He muttered under his breath.

Hirako raised an eyebrow.

"What was that?"

"Nothin'. See ya on Monday." Grimmjow replied quickly, raising his hand in a wave as he reached his car, unlocking it and sliding himself into the driver's seat.

He grinned widely, barking a laugh at Hirako's bewildered expression when the blue haired man had revved up the engine, driving past the Music teacher and leaving the blond by himself in the parking lot.

Grimmjow let loose a satisfied sigh, running a hand through his messy blue locks once more as he wound the window down, thoroughly enjoying the feel of the cool breeze streaming past his face as he pressed his foot on the accelerator – tearing along the street moments later and making his way for home.

* * *

The loud rumbling of the engine ceased to a grumbling purr of a noise, his foot easing on the brake and drawing his car to a still.

Letting out a faint irate mutter of discontent, Grimmjow sighed and reached down, pulling the gear-lever into neutral before lifting his hands up to thread behind his head, lacing his fingers against the back of his neck.

He glanced ahead of him, seeing that there were road works in the near-distance. The line of traffic he was stuck behind stretched some ways ahead as figures wearing neon orange weaved to and fro between the cars.

It was going to take him a while to get home if the line-up ahead of him was anything to go by.

"Tch… just my fuckin' luck…" He grunted faintly to himself.

He glanced down towards the radio in the car, reaching down to turn the dial to seek a new station to listen to. Annoyed with the lack of anything remotely interesting and to suit his tastes, he gave up moments later and emitted a huff of a sigh, turning the music off completely and allowing the purr of the engine to otherwise fill the silence around him.

Five minutes passed by, the traffic line before him not seeming to move more than a few centimetres as the workers continued their constructions along the sidewalk.

His brow twitching in annoyance, his impatience finally getting the better of him, Grimmjow sighed heavily and switched on the indicator. Seeing that no one was in the next lane over, he quickly manoeuvred his car away from the build-up.

Now given some room to move, he put his foot down and crossed over into the other lane, seeking another route home. Though it would take him longer, the traffic along the boulevard near the city park would surely be much better than it was here currently.

Grinning widely as he cut in front of a rather displeased looking middle-aged woman the moment he turned the corner, he simply ignored the irritated blaring of the car horn as he sped down the open road.

He felt like he could afford himself a moment to loosen up and create some mild havoc – spending all day in that stuffy classroom had done enough to dampen his wild spirit. He relished in the wind whipping across his face, strands of his tousled blue locks dancing in front of his vision as he picked up speed.

Presently, he slowed down as he reached the end of the lengthy street, taking the left turn and continuing along the tree-lined boulevard. It was late afternoon, the sunset reflecting brilliant hues of orange and yellow off of apartment and office windows.

Along the sides of the road, cafés were open, patrons already sitting outside and enjoying early dinners, observing the cars that passed them by.

The traffic was sparse, and Grimmjow mentally thanked whatever god was listening for that. He wanted nothing better than to go home already - he had enough on his mind.

Passing by the large green fields of Karakura Park, his eyes glanced sidewards to take in the gnarled oak tree which formed the central landscape of the hilly valley situated in the exact centre of the town.

He vaguely registered a figure of someone sitting beneath the tree in the darkened shade its boughs provided.

He was just about to turn his head back to the road when a flash of vibrant orange crossed his vision.

Eyes widening, he span his head back to closely investigate the figure of the person sitting alone underneath the tree.

There was no doubt about it – the spiked strands of hair, its unruly colour unmistakeable even from this distance…

_Kurosaki? What's he doin' here so late in the afternoon?_

His brows pulling together in thought, Grimmjow frowned slightly as he stared once more back at the road ahead of him.

A few moments of silence went by.

Quickly turning his hands on the wheel, Grimmjow swerved to a gentle roll towards the garden car park.

Finding a free space, he stalled his car and stepped out.

* * *

Ichigo sighed softly as he leant his head back against the tree trunk once more. He closed his eyes, running his hands over his face.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting out here – it may have been one hour or five. His warm brown eyes opening to gaze upon a bird which settled itself down on the grass some few feet away, he observed with mild intrigue as it flapped its wings, alighting briefly for only a mere moment before taking off yet again.

His hand gripped his pen loosely, tapping the lid against the notebook page he had been writing on.

His narrative was almost complete.

Quickly flipping through the seven filled pages, the orange haired teen bit his lip in thought.

_I think that's as good as it'll get_ , he thought to himself.

He was tired, and the cool chill of the evening air was now settling around him. Yet he had no desire to return home. Not if his father was there.

He bit back the ugly wave of repulsion which clawed through his chest once more as his mind settled unwillingly back to earlier that afternoon, before he had run away.

He focused on his breathing, taking slow, steady breaths. The gust of wind breezing through his hair helped to steady the disquiet in his mind as he closed his eyes yet again. He curled his arms around his legs, drawing them up to rest his chin against his kneecaps.

How he wanted to forget about it all and blissfully fade away to a simple nothing, just like the soothing wind through the trees.

The leaves rustled wistfully, accompanied by the soft crunching of grass under foot from nearby.

Ichigo sighed quietly again, wrapping his arms tighter around his lithe form.

_Mum… what would you do if you were alive right now?_

"Oi, Kurosaki… what're you doin' out here?"

Ichigo blinked, his head shooting up as the sudden call of that familiar rough-edged voice filled his ears.

He turned his gaze to the left to see none other than the cyan blue eyed and tousled blue haired form of his English teacher walking up to him, his hands in his pockets and his posture slouched as he made his way over.

Ichigo found himself momentarily dumbstruck, at a loss for words as the taller male drew up beside him, looking down at the teen with mild concern on his features.

"Sensei…" Ichigo mumbled out. He was confused – what the hell was his teacher doing here?

The taller man scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"I  _do_  have a name ya know. Might as well use it…" He muttered.

Ichigo found himself getting pulled out of his stunned reverie, and scoffing in return, he allowed a faint grin to form on his lips as he turned his gaze back to the fields of grass before them.

Despite himself, the unexpected company of his teacher wasn't entirely unwelcomed.

"You should take your own advice then, Jaegerjaquez. I have a name too." He murmured.

A snorted laugh fell from the sensei's lips.

"Oi, don't go pushin' it." The teacher grinned.

Ichigo's smile grew wider and he couldn't help the chuckle that left his mouth in response.

"You mind if I sit down with ya?"

The orange haired youth shook his head, eyeing the man out of the corner of his eyes as the taller male let out a quiet sigh, moving to sit down beside the teen with his back resting against the oak tree. His head tilted back against the gnarled surface, his legs stretching out before him as he rested an arm over his kneecap.

Ichigo smiled faintly, he too leaning his head back against the bark.

A quiet silence fell over the pair for a moment.

"So what  _are_  you doing out here?"

Ichigo turned his head, gazing into the blue eyes of his teacher as the man fixed his questioning gaze on the youth, an eyebrow raised.

"I was writing." Ichigo answered, shrugging.

An amused smile pulled at the corners of the teacher's lips.

"Writing?" He repeated.

Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah, the thing you do when you press pen to paper?" He teased, raising an eyebrow in return to the look being given to him. The older man let loose a brief bark of laughter.

"You're so lucky you're not in class right now, Kurosaki…"

Ichigo laughed, unable to resist cracking a grin.

"I was writing my narrative…" He continued, his voice trailing off quietly as he gazed back down to the book in his hands. Grimmjow's brows rose in faint disbelief.

"Already? I know I said they were due on Monday, but you have the whole weekend to work on it." He pointed out, his tone amused and mildly taken aback.

Ichigo nodded.

"I know…" He whispered.

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed.

"You alright, Kurosaki?"

Ichigo closed his eyes, sighing heavily.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine."

Grimmjow continued to gaze expectantly at the boy. A moment of silence passed.

"Writing is… a good way for me to escape. I love it. It… helps to vent unwanted feelings, you know?" The youth continued, gazing unblinkingly out at the steadying descent of the sun behind the tree line.

Grimmjow shifted a little so his full attention was directed on the youth. His eyes continued to narrow.

"Yeah… I know." He replied, his tone quiet. He waited for the boy to continue.

Ichigo turned to face him, a faint smile crossing his lips at the expression on his teacher's face. Grimmjow saw a faint clouded look of hurt in the kid's warm brown eyes.

"If you don't mind me asking… what happened?" He inquired, seeing that he wasn't going to get a response.

Ichigo fell silent.

"Nothing important." He whispered eventually.

Grimmjow allowed a faint sigh to fall from his lips. He knew he shouldn't push the boy into answering him. If Kurosaki wanted to tell him, he would do so in his own time.

He nodded.

"Alright, I'll let it go. But I can see that there's a lot yer not tellin' me, Kurosaki. Even in class. I just want you to know that if you do feel like sayin' somethin', I'll be willing to listen. I don't mean to sound all cheesy and shit, but I think that a good talk is probably something you need going by the way you act in class. So... if you want to... go right ahead." He continued.

A small smile of gratitude flickered at the corners of Ichigo's mouth. He nodded faintly.

"Yeah… thanks." He murmured.

Grimmjow nodded, making to stand up.

"I'll see ya on Monday, Kurosaki." He took his hand out of his pocket to wave at the orange haired teen.

He received a small nod in response.

Turning his back, the teacher took a step forwards and was just about to head off back to his car when he was stopped by the quiet voice behind him.

"It was my mother…"

Grimmjow paused, turning around to gaze at the teen. Kurosaki was gazing off towards the city skyscrapers in the near-distance, his warm brown eyes filled with an echoing sadness. The teacher walked back over to the youth, resuming his seat next to him. He waited for the boy to continue speaking.

Ichigo gave a shuddering sigh, bowing his head as he resumed his words.

"She… died five months ago. She was killed in a car accident on her way back home from work. We were really torn up about it… we loved her. Dad, my sisters, and me. She was the sort of world that the whole family revolved around, you know?" Ichigo gave a faint quivering laugh, his eyes glazing over with the fond memory.

Grimmjow remained silent.

Ichigo paused yet again, taking another deep breath. Presently he spoke up once more, his gaze lifting to watch the last trails of sunlight in the distance. His voice was quiet, detached, as if he wasn't speaking to his teacher.

"My sisters took a while getting over the shock. They still miss her… we all do. I tried my best to look after them. But there are still nights when they cry about it. I try to comfort them. They look up to me, and I need to look after them. It's my job. I love my sisters and I need to keep them strong. But… dad took it the hardest."

There was another pause.

"The day after she died, we had her funeral. Dad continued to beat himself up over it – he turned to drinking as a means to help him forget about what happened. Masaki was everything to him. In fact, he probably loved her more than he cared for his own kids. One night, he got really drunk and went out to town. He… hooked up with a stripper at a dance club."

Ichigo's voice was shaking slightly, his hands clenching tightly over his knees. Grimmjow could see the pain that was echoing in those warm brown eyes, and he felt his stomach clench tightly in response.

This kid… he was beginning to see why Ichigo continually drew into himself during class. He was suffering badly.

"He kept on seeing her?" Grimmjow guessed, his voice quiet.

Ichigo sighed, nodding.

"Some whore called Matsumoto Rangiku. There's no way those two could even love each other. Dad kept on going out with her as a means to somehow fill that hole that mum left when she died. He's ruining himself. Every night since then, he goes out with that woman and gets piss-drunk. He doesn't even stay at home anymore. He practically lives in that bar. The only time Yuzu, Karin and I see him is when he comes home mostly Thursday nights, and even then it's to yell at us while he's off his head from drugs and alcohol…" Ichigo's voice cracked a little toward the end of his sentence.

He sniffed, bringing his arm up to wipe his eyes hastily on his shirt sleeve.

"We always fight.  _Always_. Our family isn't even a family anymore. He gets violent and lashes out. Mostly its verbal but… sometimes… it's physical."

Grimmjow sat up straighter, setting his gaze intently on the youth.

"Ichigo, you don't have to continue…" He said quickly, seeing that the kid was on the verge of tears again. The teen shook his head, smiling weakly.

"No, it… it's ok… it's good to finally tell someone." He gave a barely audible chuckle, leaning his head back against the tree trunk before moving a hand to roll up his sleeve.

Grimmjow's eyes widened and a sharp intake of breath left his lips when he saw the long, dark cut along the teen's bicep. The bruise around it was a lightened purple, beginning to fade into a grey green.

"Shit… when the hell did that happen?!" The blue haired man exclaimed, his head lifting back up to stare, horrified, into pained brown eyes.

"Last week…" Ichigo muttered faintly, pulling his sleeve back down. He took another deep breath. "I'm just glad my sisters never get hurt…"

Grimmjow's mind was reeling. The only thing that registered in his thoughts was horror and anger for what this kid had to put up with at home. This boy's father… he was a bastard – some kind of sick, twisted fuck.

"Have you tried to go to a family counsellor? Find another place to live? Shit, Ichi, that's domestic abuse!"

Ichigo fixed his brown eyes on cyan blue.

"Where would that leave my sisters?" He asked quietly. Grimmjow blinked.

Sighing, Ichigo continued.

"They would separate us. I promised Yuzu and Karin I would look after them. I'll do whatever I can to make sure that they don't suffer like I did."

Grimmjow ran a hand through his hair, a desperate look coming into his eyes.

"I get that, but… shit! No one should have to put up with that!"

Ichigo murmured in faint agreement.

"I run away from him. From her…" He continued. "Every night he comes home, we yell. I escape and come to the park here. I take my notepad with me so I can sit and write. It's the only thing that'll help me to calm down. Writing takes my mind off of all the shit that goes on in my life… that's why I love it so much. I can sit back and imagine the life I wish I had, if mum was still alive and with us. I'm… actually really glad you're here with me right now, Grimmjow…"

The blue haired man's eyes were filled with a deep concern.

Ichigo turned his head so he could lock his eyes once more with cyan orbs. He gave a faint smile.

"It feels good to finally get this off of my chest, you know? You're the only one I've ever spoken to about all this. I… just wanted to say thank you… for listening. I've also been meaning to apologise for being such an asshole to you in class. Now's a good time to say it, yeah?"

Despite himself Grimmjow gave a faint chuckle, his lips quirking into slight smile.

"Yeah… at least you apologised, ya smartass…"

Ichigo gave a laugh.

Grimmjow sighed, his gaze turning sombre.

"I really am sorry to hear about all that, Ichi…" He murmured. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders, huffing a faint sigh of agreement.

"Yeah… "

Grimmjow leant his head back against the tree trunk once more. He turned to gaze back at the teen's troubled features.

"I  _am_ gonna help you, you know that right?"

Ichigo didn't respond, but a faint smile twitched at the corners of his lips. He gave a barely visible nod of his head.

"Thank you…" He whispered.

The blue haired man nodded, making to sit up again. Ichigo's eyes were questioning as the taller man stood in front of him, extending his hand.

The youth gazed at the hand offered to him, the confusion evident all over his face when he raised brown eyes back to blue.

"Come on, it's gettin' really late and yer probably gonna catch hypothermia out here or somethin'. It's fuckin' freezing. You weren't planning on going back home tonight, were ya?"

Ichigo's brows furrowed faintly as he took the hand reached out to his own, wrapping his cold fingers around the welcoming warmth of the other man's.

He was hoisted up from the ground and he moved to dust himself off.

"No… why?" He replied.

Grimmjow shrugged, sticking his hands into his pockets and beginning to walk away, Ichigo quickening his steps to keep up with the man's long strides.

"You can stay with me tonight if ya want. I figure it'll be better than leavin' you out here all by yourself."

Ichigo froze in his steps, his eyes widening. He blinked.

Grimmjow paused, turning around to gaze at the youth, an eyebrow raised in confusion.

"What?" He asked.

Ichigo continued to stare up at his English teacher, completely at a loss for what he had just heard from the man. He didn't find the notion unpleasant or awkward as such, but rather, he found that he was unable to believe that his sensei would willingly go out of his way to do such a thing for him.

Ichigo truly appreciated the thought, and without really understanding why, he found that he had shaken his head, grinning slightly.

"No, nothing. Thanks… I'd like to."

Grimmjow grunted faintly in response, a slight grin pulling at his lips.

"Alright then. Come on, my car's over there."

Ichigo smiled in return, digging his notepad and pen into his pocket as he hurried after the teacher, falling into step beside him once more.

 


	4. Authors and Ambitions

"Wow… nice car…"

Grimmjow turned his head to gaze at the youth beside him, Ichigo's brows raised in an expression of astonishment as his warm brown eyes fell upon the sight of the taller man's car.

The teacher couldn't help the wide grin that formed on his lips.

"Isn't she just?" He said proudly, his cyan irises gazing lovingly at the 2014 Ford Mustang GT which was parked and lying in wait a few metres ahead. Its sleek metallic black body shone warmly in the last dying embers of the sun's rays - the electric cobalt blue of the vehicle's body paint a striking contrast of perfection. The customised rims reflected a bright pure silver, the very vehicle itself seeming to call out and plead silkily to be driven.

"I've had her for a while. She's an absolute dream to drive and purrs like a babe." Grimmjow continued, taking out his keys and making to unlock the doors.

Ichigo's lips split into a smile.

"You sure you're really an English teacher?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement as he drew up alongside the passenger car door. Grimmjow snorted a laugh.

"Shut up and just get in." The man grinned, wider than before.

Ichigo chuckled, reaching out and settling his hand on the door handle, pulling it and sliding himself into the spacious seat that met him. His eyes alit with appreciation at the smooth leather interior, the modern gadgets greeting him and almost begging to be touched. He resisted the temptation to lay his hands all over the seat and dashboard, and instead focused on fastening his seatbelt.

The smile never left his face.

"See what I mean? She's a beauty." Grimmjow chuckled, his expression smug as he had been studying Ichigo's reaction when the youth had seated himself down. The orange haired teen lifted his head to gaze at his teacher, his smile widening. He nodded.

Grimmjow cracked another grin, pleased to see that the boy's mood had lifted considerably. He slid himself down into the driver's seat, turning the key in the ignition and allowing the deep rumbling purr of the engine to resonate around the parking lot.

"I don't live too far from here. It's probably another twenty minutes or so." The blue haired man continued as he reversed, straightening the car and then driving forwards, beginning the drive towards the park entry.

Ichigo murmured faintly in understanding, his eyes once more sweeping over the car. A slight smile formed on his lips when he looked at his teacher, feeling a deep appreciation once more for the older man's offer to help him. Ichigo settled himself back against the leather of the seat, a quiet sigh falling from his lips. His warm brown eyed gaze moved to watch the streets passing by, the world outside flying past as they drove along.

The blur of café-lined terraces and the emerald green of tree-lined walkways intertwined and mingled together underneath the now-darkened evening sky, casting an almost ethereal stream of colour and bold shapes against the window.

Ichigo felt the weary exhaustion of the day slowly start to take its toll on his body, and he stifled a yawn with his hand.

His mind was still an inner turmoil of rage, depression and frustration – yet the weight on his heart felt lessened to some extent at having finally been able to have voiced the pain and hurt he had been holding onto for so long.

He thought it was slightly ironic that it would be his English teacher he would open up to about his father, yet deep inside, Ichigo thought that he wouldn't rather it any other way. If he had told his friends, they would act like everyone else. They would urge him to seek help. They would urge him to speak to counsellors and the police. Which would be fine normally, but not once would they think about  _his_  feelings regarding the matter – they would only look at him as Kurosaki Ichigo, high school student who had been known to be involved in fights since the day he could first walk. Yet the man next to him, Ichigo was of the distinct impression, could perhaps understand him closer than anyone else ever could. He would look at Ichigo the way no one else ever had in those past few minutes of conversation – as a human being, an individual whose inner thoughts ran deeper than he cared to let on, desperate to make themselves known and to be heard.

For the first time in five months, Ichigo felt as if he could finally begin to be himself again, and learn to let go of his reclusive state of mind.

And not for the first time, he was grateful that this man was his teacher.

"I'll get us some food when we get there. There's a spare room you can bunk in for the night."

Ichigo nodded appreciatively at Grimmjow's words as his eyes slid closed, his head leaning against his hand on the car windowsill.

Grimmjow turned his head to gaze at the teen, a faint smile pulling at his lips.

He was glad the kid had finally seemed to let go of the mask that he had been hiding himself behind. Now that he knew the truth of what was going on, he could help the youth as much as he could.

Cyan eyes sweeping over the near-sleeping form of the younger male, the teen's boyish features marked with fatigue, Grimmjow found himself sighing as he turned his head to eye the road in front once more.

His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles almost turning white against his tanned skin.

_I still can't believe all the shit from that bastard he has to put up with._

His gaze hardening and his jaw clenching, Grimmjow's expression was resolute. He had promised Ichigo he would help him, and he intended to see that promise through with everything he could.

* * *

Ichigo eyed the two-storied town house with raised eyebrows, his warm brown eyes taking in the cream coloured bricks and the smooth tiled roofs. The driveway was extensive, able to fit up to three cars at once. The garden was immaculate, the shrubs and trees well-selected to suit the homey appearance of the house itself.

The deep rumbling of the car came to a cease, Grimmjow shutting off the engine and removing his keys. He turned his head to gaze at Ichigo, watching as the teen continued to study the house in front of him from out of the window.

"You gonna get out or stay in here all night?" Grimmjow asked, a blue eyebrow raised in amusement.

Ichigo stirred, blinking and turning to look at his teacher, rolling his eyes and smiling despite himself as he pulled on the door handle, swinging it open and stepping out. Grimmjow grinned again, doing likewise and shutting the door behind him, locking the vehicle and making his way over towards the front door of his house.

The sound of his keys jangled from his palm as he stopped underneath the front porch, reaching out and unlocking the front door. Ichigo watched this for a moment before glancing around once more at the quiet street his teacher's house was situated on.

He was surprised to discover when they had turned into this neighbourhood that the taller man lived in one of the many higher class districts of Karakura Town, though the teen found himself thinking that this probably shouldn't have come as such a surprise. After all, the car that the man drove was self-explanatory that he was quite well off in the finance department.

The sound of crickets chirped faintly in the distance, the sky now darkened into the ebony black of night. Stars flickered faintly above, and the smoky fire of the collection of the city's lights glimmered from down below beneath the black clefts of the surrounding hills. The breeze blew faintly across the lamp-lit street, carrying with it the crisp musk of the chilled night's scent.

A triumphant "aha!" sounded from next to him, and Ichigo turned his head as the door opened, Grimmjow elbowing it out of the way to allow the teen through.

Ichigo grinned his reply, stepping forth into the darkened corridor. The sound of fumbling behind him echoed faintly off the walls, the house becoming flooded with light a few seconds later as Grimmjow found the switch. He shut the door behind them, letting out a sigh as he ran a hand through his messy blue locks, stretching faintly.

"Just settle yerself down in the kitchen, and I'll go order us somethin'. I'll give you a proper tour after we've had somethin' to eat, provided you can keep yerself awake."

Ichigo turned his gaze to his teacher, nodding his understanding. Grimmjow grunted faintly in satisfaction to this, and strode off down into the living room to get the phone.

Ichigo watched the taller man head off before beginning his slow exploration of the hallway. It was wide and spacious, the walls a faint cream colour and decorated here and there with various pictures of cars, sport photos and literature snippets from newspapers and magazines.

The orange haired boy continued further along, his lips pulling into a smile as he eyed the comfortable looking lounge room, a large TV situated on top of a chestnut cabinet table; plush leather couches were seated around the soft carpet on the floor, bookcases lined with texts on either side of the walls.

His teacher's house was surprisingly pristine and well-kept, something which caused Ichigo's eyes to light up with amusement as he regarded that the man who lived here seemed to exude an air that he was anything but.

Movement sounded from behind him, and Ichigo turned his head to see his sensei approaching, phone in hand. Grimmjow met Ichigo's gaze and raised a brow.

"Kitchen's that way." He jerked his head to the side, a grin pulling at his lips as he indicated the hallway to his left.

Ichigo laughed.

"Nice place you have here." He mentioned as he followed his teacher down the hall.

A faint scoff pulled at Grimmjow's lips.

"What, a guy with an attitude like me can't have a nice house? That's some fine bullshit goin' on in yer head there, Kurosaki." He retorted, his grin widening.

Ichigo snorted a laugh, eyeing the expansive white-washed tiles and gleaming black bench tops of the kitchen with an appreciative glance when they entered. A view of the hills outside could just be made visible through the warm yellow glow of the lights as they reflected from the windows.

Modern appliances decked the kitchen counters, with chairs centred around the island in the middle of the workspace. Everything was just as immaculate as the living room they had entered in from, and Ichigo found himself mildly in awe of the calming atmosphere of this man's home.

It was vibrant and flecks of colour seeped through – fragments of the man's colourful personality, one could liken it to – in the form of various knick knacks and posters, awards and books, and amusing photographs.

"I'll ring up Di Roy and see if he can score us some takeaway ramen."

Ichigo lifted his head to gaze at his teacher as the blue haired man began pressing in numbers on the phone. He frowned slightly in confusion as he moved over to one of the chairs, settling himself down and laying his hands on the glossy black tabletop.

"Di Roy?" The orangette questioned.

Grimmjow looked back to him.

"Di Roy Rinker. He's a friend o' mine. Owns the local takeaway store." He explained. Ichigo blinked, nodding his head in understanding. Grimmjow placed the phone to his ear, grabbing a menu leaflet off of the kitchen counter and striding back out into the living room so he could make the call.

"Yo, Di Roy. Yeah it's me. Got an order I want… yeah I  _do_ know what time it is, ya lazy bastard…"

Ichigo couldn't help the wide grin that formed on his lips as he heard the trailing conversation when Grimmjow headed off. Chuckling, he shook his head briefly before letting out a quiet sigh.

He leant his head over his arms on the tabletop, glancing around the kitchen lazily once more.

Allowing himself to become lulled by the comforting warmth of the room and the gentle lighting, his limbs and mind relaxed, Ichigo soon found it within himself to doze off into a light slumber while he waited for dinner to arrive.

* * *

Grimmjow huffed a faint sigh as he walked back into the kitchen, the takeaway meal safely stowed inside the plastic bag he had taken from Di Roy at the front door.

He scoffed faintly, the lazy-ass blond having chastised him quite colourfully for his late-night order when he had arrived to deliver the meal.

His lips pulling into a faint smile, the English teacher shook his head at the memory, sighing again when he turned the corner into the dim-lit room of the kitchen. He was about to call out to Ichigo that his food was here when he paused in his tracks. A heavier sigh than before passing his lips, Grimmjow quietly set the bag onto the glossy black table surface beside the boy's shoulder. The youth had fallen asleep, his head nestled against his arms.

Grimmjow took a moment to silently study the teen, his mind once again swimming from what he had learnt earlier that afternoon about this enigma student of his.

_Poor kid. It kinda seems rude to wake him right now._

Contemplating leaving Kurosaki to rest for a few minutes longer, the cyan eyed man raised his gaze to check the time on the wall clock. He frowned slightly – it was 9:30pm. Reaching up a hand to run it through his wild blue locks, Grimmjow looked back to the fatigued younger male.

_But he's gotta eat. It looks like he hasn't had anything all day._

Coming to his decision he exhaled sharply, reaching out and gently touching a hand to the boy's shoulder.

"Kurosaki, you wakin' up any time soon?"

He didn't get a response. Frowning faintly he applied a little more pressure, lightly shaking the teen's shoulder in the hopes that he would be able to wake the orangette up that way. All he got in return to his efforts was a barely audible mumble.

Rolling his eyes, Grimmjow tried again.

"Oi, Ichigo. Dinner's here. C'mon, you'll be able to get some sleep as soon as you get some food in ya."

There was another faint mumble.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes once more, removing his hand and reaching over to pull the food out of the bag. He almost salivated at the glorious smells that were wafting from the plastic bowls inside. Despite his friend Di Roy having a rather agitated outlook on life, always complaining about the slightest issue, he could certainly make an excellent ramen which could absolutely blow the mind.

Even now, Grimmjow felt his stomach growl in anticipation to the plethora of sweet spices and braised meats that were filling the kitchen with their tantalising scent. Grabbing out some chopsticks for both himself and his guest, he couldn't help but flash a grin towards the faintly stirring teen currently asleep on his tabletop.

_If this doesn't wake him up, there's seriously somethin' wrong with him._

His smirk becoming triumphant as he indeed beheld the youth twitching and mumbling a light groan from behind his hands, Grimmjow reached out and ruffled the back of the kid's head with his hand, absentmindedly taking note of the feel of the soft locks of hair despite their spiked appearance. His cyan gaze was drawn momentarily towards the large ugly bruise which marred the teen's bicep as the youth's arm shifted.

His smile faded, his fingertips tracing over the wounded skin lightly. His brows furrowed in dark contemplation.

_No one should have to put up with that._

His attention was drawn back to the orangette when the youth's arm shifted, Ichigo's head lifting slowly and his warm brown eyes blinking open with some effort.

"Grimm…jow? Wha' is it?" He mumbled sleepily, bringing up his hands and rubbing his eyes.

Grimmjow scoffed faintly.

"Real cute, Kurosaki. I've been tryin' to wake you up for a while now." He said, crossing his arms over his chest. Something which sounded like a mumble of apology passed Ichigo's lips, the youth blinking once more and settling his bleary gaze on the taller man before his eyes fell to take in the food in front of him.

"Holy fuck that smells good."

A bark of laughter left Grimmjow's lips, his grin widening as he took his own seat opposite the teen, uncapping the lid of his meal and snapping apart the cheap wooden chopsticks. Holding them, he began to eat his meal, kicking his feet back and crossing one leg over the other on the kitchen tabletop, a satisfied sigh passing his lips as he partook in the heavenly meal.

Ichigo quickly lifted the lid off of his own food, his eyes widening as he saw the brilliant array of delectable looking vegetables, meats and noodles before him. Trying his best to not drool, he picked up his own chopsticks and voraciously tucked into his food, a low groan of delight passing his lips as his mouth became assaulted by a symphony of absolute indulgence.

"Good, isn't it?" Grimmjow grinned, eyeing the teen's reaction. Ichigo quickly nodded his head in agreement, too busy with bringing up yet another large mouthful of noodles and meat to his mouth and swallowing it eagerly.

"Woah, ya better slow down, Ichigo. You might get an ulcer or somethin'." Grimmjow's eyes widened faintly, his tone still amused yet now mildly concerned as Ichigo continued to shovel mouthful after mouthful down.

_Damn that kid really_ hasn't  _had anything to eat all day by the looks of it._

Ichigo slowly lifted his gaze to find his teacher's eyes on him, the blue haired males' eyebrows raised and his expression formed into one of complete and utter disbelief. He quickly averted his eyes back to his food, almost kicking himself as he felt his cheeks heat up with embarrassment.

"Sorry." He mumbled, swallowing another mouthful and sighing. "But it's kinda hard. I mean this stuff is brilliant."

A low chuckle sounded from the other man, Grimmjow resuming his own food. He merely shrugged in response, his grin back in place.

Willing his cheeks to cool down, Ichigo smiled faintly, continuing with his meal at a more tolerable pace. A pleasant silence passed between the two for a few moments, the atmosphere only filled with the sounds of food being consumed.

Presently, Grimmjow spoke up again, his gaze once more looking over the youth and regarding him closely.

"If ya don't mind me asking, Ichi, is there another reason why you're so interested in writing?"

The teen looked up from the last few mouthfuls of his meal, quickly swallowing what he was currently eating before replacing his now empty bowl back onto the kitchen counter. A faint clouded look appeared in his warm brown eyes as he gazed at the opposite wall, seeming to become lost in his own thoughts.

"I… want to be a writer one day." He spoke up presently, his tone barely audible.

Grimmjow tilted his head to the side slightly as he gazed at the boy opposite him, regarding him with curiosity.

"Is that so?" He murmured. He received a nod.

Another few seconds of silence went by, Ichigo's brown eyes glancing over the kitchen they were seated in. It appeared he was choosing his next words carefully. He rested his elbows on the black tabletop, his chin falling into the palm of his hand. His expression became pensive, faraway and as if he was absorbing himself into his own thoughts.

"Before mum… well… y'know… she always told me that she loved my writing. I would spend every spare moment I had just losing myself with my imagination. I would write about everything and anything, and she was always there to support me. She told me to stick with what I loved, and for as long as I can remember being an author has been my ambition. More than anything, more than using it as a way to help me forget about my life, I… want to do this for her. So she knows that I won't forget about her."

Grimmjow continued to remain silent as Ichigo told him this. The teen's tone was soft, his warm brown eyes becoming glazed over with the increasingly familiar sense of burning determination that the teacher was learning formed a predominant part of his character.

Whenever he spoke about his mother and his sisters, his gaze would become focused, his brown irises radiating with a strength which was only rivalled by that of his fiery demeanour.

The more Grimmjow was aware of this, the more he found himself beginning to understand those eyes. And in doing so, he was beginning to understand more about the teen who had subconsciously embedded himself within his mind, urging him to peel away at each reclusive layer of the orange haired youth to finally reveal the true personality within.

"I think she knows you won't forget about her, no matter what." Grimmjow said quietly, a faint smile pulling at his lips. At this, Ichigo blinked, turning to look back to his sensei.

The teen's expression quickly became moulded over with a look of flushed embarrassment, his eyes shifting to stare at the glossy bench they were sitting at.

"I know. But… I promised her." He replied simply, the words almost going unheard.

Grimmjow caught them though, and his smile grew as he leant back further in his chair. This kid really was something else. He didn't know whether it was this selfless determination for others, or his willingness to see things through no matter the consequences on his personal self, or if it was the unfaltering kindness he now saw in those warm brown orbs, but Grimmjow found himself in a state of awe.

"I really admire that, Kurosaki." He could have almost laughed aloud at the shocked expression that formed on the teen's face as soon as those words left his lips. He continued, his smile forming into a wide grin.

"Writing's not the easiest path to go down, Ichi, but take it from me – you're really determined and I have no doubts about ya succeeding. You have that type of attitude and desire which is genuinely needed in the author's world. Your mother had every right to be proud of you."

Ichigo appeared to stumble over his response, his mouth opening and closing in a rather comical fashion. Eventually his features softened, the teen bringing up a hand and rubbing it through the spiked mass of orange locks upon his head.

He smiled meekly.

"Thanks." He mumbled. Grimmjow only nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"What about you?" The teen asked after a few moments. Grimmjow's brows furrowed in faint confusion.

"What about me?" The blue haired man shifted his legs from where they were still crossed over one another on the table. He fixed Ichigo with a pointed gaze.

The teen shrugged.

"Well, I've told you about myself. It's only fair I learn about you. You sound like you've been in the writing industry before." He elaborated.

Grimmjow brought a hand down to rub over his eyes, a faint chuckle leaving his lips as he did so.

"Well, there ain't much to tell, really. I was an author a while back. Just before I started teaching, actually." He began. He scoffed faintly when he saw Ichigo's eyes widen slightly, the youth's warm brown orbs echoing acute disbelief.

"What? Why're ya lookin' so surprised?" The teacher asked, his cyan eyes glinting with amusement.

Ichigo seemed to regain his composure, the boy shaking his head and giving a mild snorted laugh.

"No, nothing." He replied. "It's just, you don't really look like the type to sit down and write a book." Ichigo's brow rose in a sceptical manner.

Grimmjow barked out a laugh, his grin widening and showing his array of white teeth.

"You'd be surprised, Kurosaki." The blue haired man chuckled. He sighed quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. His gaze became pensive, his cyan eyes softening as memories of his past were brought back to him. It was a few more seconds until he spoke again.

"I've always been interested in writing, myself. I grew up not knowing my parents, though from what I heard later on I was better off for it. They were nothin' but drug addicts an' abusive as hell. I think my father's still rottin' in jail right about now, too." Another chuckle left Grimmjow's lips, though this time it was saddened, his expression laced with regret.

Ichigo found his eyes drawn to his teacher, unable to look away as he saw that normally prideful, cocky even, face now echoing pain. He frowned slightly – he knew that expression well. His stomach lurched uncomfortably, but nevertheless he remained silent.

"I was sent off to an orphanage. The officials said it was better off sayin' my parents were dead. I was lucky to make a few good friends while I was there, like Di Roy, though most of us were never able to find a home - 'cept fer a few, the lucky bastards. We had to look out fer each other – it was a rough neighbourhood. Kinda like survival of the fittest in a way, I s'pose. You had to be at the top and stay there if you wanted to make it past all the back-stabbing and the fights. How else did ya think I got this accent?" Here, Grimmjow paused, another slight grin pulling at his lips.

Ichigo gave a faint snort of laughter, settling himself back further in his chair as he did so. He continued to train his eyes on his teacher, his brain working through all this new information he was learning about the man in front of him.

Grimmjow leant forwards, propping an elbow on the table. He rested his chin in his palm, his cyan eyes drawing to the opposite wall. His expression became contemplative once more.

"When I earned enough money from the jobs I was able to find, I used it to send me to school. I excelled most at English. I made it to the top o' the class for most every year of my education. Like you, Ichi, I found writing as a way to help me sort of escape from the issues that plagued me in everyday life. It wasn't until I graduated that I decided I wanted to become a writer. I was actually quite successful in it, too."

Here, Ichigo's brows furrowed slightly. His warm brown eyes were filled with an expression of intrigue.

"What books did you write?" He asked. Grimmjow's gaze was brought back to the teen, his blue eyes glancing steadily into brown.

"Just a mini-series called 'Pantera'. Got itself quite the underground cult following, as well. It kinda makes me sad I discontinued it." The taller man replied, shrugging. He blinked when he saw Ichigo's eyes widen, his mouth gaping open in shock. Grimmjow rose a blue eyebrow in response.

"Don't tell me you've read it…"

"You!  _You're_ the author of 'Pantera'?!" Ichigo exclaimed. He almost fell out of his seat in shock, his brain seeming to become numb.

_No way… no fucking way!_

Grimmjow's brow rose higher in amusement.

"I'll take that as a 'yes', then." He mused, his lips pulling apart into a grin.

Ichigo spluttered a little, his face becoming alight with unbridled excitement, his warm brown eyes wide with an enthusiasm akin to a child opening their presents on Christmas Day.

"That series… has been my favourite since it was first published! The story of that land called Hueco Mundo, those ten Spanish warriors, the dictatorship over everyone by that traitorous overlord, and the ancient mystery surrounding Castillo de Las Noches… there was supposed to be a second instalment, where those soldiers from Seireitei would become one step closer to taking back their land from those new German invaders…" Ichigo breathed eagerly, no longer caring by this point that he was rambling, or that the man opposite him was laughing aloud, the wild rumbling sound filling the air between them.

"Why did you stop it? And what was with the author name? 'G.J. Sexta'?" Ichigo managed to get out a moment later, the realisation that he was making a fool of himself now hitting him and causing his cheeks to flush angrily with embarrassment.

Grimmjow continued to laugh, moving to wipe away the tears which were threatening to brim from his eyes in his mirth. Taking a deep breath, he succeeded in calming himself momentarily so he could answer.

"What are ya? My world's biggest fanboy or somethin'?" He grinned. Another bark of laughter left his lips, the sound trailing off into small chuckles. He smiled, regarding the teen before him with a fond air. He shrugged again.

"That series was a story loosely based off of my life experiences. I just turned it into a fantasy novel. I stopped it 'cos I felt like it wasn't enough for me ta help turn my life around with. I wanted to help people, and the one thing I was good at was writing. So I became a teacher." He explained, his tone now quiet. Ichigo's expression softened, the corners of his lips quirking into a small smile.

"As for the 'Sexta', there's no meaning behind it. It just sounded close enough to 'sexy'." Grimmjow added, waving his hand around as if to emphasise his point.

At this, Ichigo's lips really did pull apart into a wide grin, a snorted laugh falling from his mouth.

"What?!" He gasped out, gripping his stomach; his laughter continued to roil in waves throughout the kitchen.

Grimmjow merely responded with a sly smirk.

"Well I  _am_ pretty good to look at." He winked. Ichigo snorted once more in amusement, the teen shaking his head and sighing to try and calm himself.

"You really are something else, you know that? I can't believe you're my teacher." He answered, smiling.

Grimmjow barked out another laugh, his manic grin back in place.

Another moment of silence passed, broken only by the faint chuckles emanating from the two. Presently Grimmjow glanced up to the clock on the wall. It was almost midnight.

Stifling a yawn he slowly stood up from the chair, stretching his arms above his head and sighing in satisfaction when he felt the tension ease from his muscles. He glanced down at Ichigo, who moved to rub his hands over his eyes, the teen then making to stifle a yawn of his own.

"Come on, I'll show you to the spare room and you can get some rest." The teacher announced, picking up the empty bowls and utensils from the bench top and dumping the contents into the kitchen bin.

A sleepy sigh sounded from the orange haired youth, Ichigo mumbling some form of acquiescence whilst he moved to extricate himself from his own chair.

Throwing a small smile the teen's way, Grimmjow reached out and moved to flick the switch, the kitchen becoming smothered in the dark of the night when the pair left and ascended the stairs moments later.

* * *

Sighing quietly and running a hand through his damp orange locks now sticking in matted strands to his cheeks, forehead and neck, Ichigo closed the bathroom door and strode forwards to settle himself down on the edge of the bed.

He yawned again, bringing up his hands to rub his eyes which were beginning to sting from tiredness. Sinking back against the soft mattress, his chest heaved with a great exhale of breath as he welcomed the comforting surface supporting him.

Too fatigued by all that had transpired to even worry about towelling the rest of himself off after his hot shower, he spared a lazy glance around the room he would be sleeping in for the night.

Just like the bathroom and the rest of the house, this room was immaculate and well-furnished, the furniture carefully placed and the walls, bookshelves and desk adorned with various pictures. The curtains billowed gracefully against the windowpanes, the moon outside glowing with a pure silver light against the backdrop of the endless black of night, the stars shimmering in the ebony depths.

The night's rays cast ethereal shadows upon the walls which were painted a neutral cream, though now they appeared a cloud-grey in the darkness. The pine wood desk and bookcases were littered with texts and ornaments, serving a constant reminder to the teen that this was indeed the house of a literary academic.

Though, right now, his favourite feature of the room was the bed he was currently lying down upon. Its large king-sized mattress was as soft and as yielding as the feathered pillow under his head, Ichigo immediately finding it hard to resist the lulling urge of sleep which swiftly rose to claim purchase over his exhausted mind.

His eyelids feeling heavy, he drew the warm quilt over his body and slid his weary gaze to the window momentarily, his eyes not really taking in anything except the quickening blur of his vision caused by the moon's glow.

As he drifted on the very edge of lucidity, thoughts of what he had learnt from his English teacher at dinner sprang forth and flickered in-between his scattered brain function.

Ichigo found himself feeling that almost unknowingly, the two had become closer to a sense of mutual understanding of one another. After all, both he and his blue haired sensei had suffered similar childhoods, and they shared the same passion for writing.

It almost felt like Ichigo had found himself a true friend, one who could relate to him like no one else could. Not even Rukia, Sado, Renji, Ishida or Orihime. And to discover that his teacher was also the author of one of his most loved fantasy novels had opened up the teen's eyes to the depths of this man's character, this wild, seemingly rebellious man whom Ichigo had viewed as being insufferably obnoxious and arrogant at first, but had now found himself thinking of with a greater sense of incredulity and reverence.

_He really wants to help me_.

A faint smile forming on his lips, Ichigo's head tilted back further against the pillow. Unable to gather any more coherency in his mind, he lost himself to the clutches of sleep.

 


	5. Words from the Heart

Running his hands under the water from the tap, he lifted his fingers and splashed the cold liquid droplets against his warm skin, greatly welcoming the refreshing coolness which brought some form of clarity to his sleep-fogged mind.

He sighed, repeating the motion twice more before reaching out and turning off the tap. Picking up the towel that was discarded to the side, he patted his skin dry, the slight coarseness of the fabric helping to bring back feeling to his numbed senses.

Stifling a yawn, he then brought up a hand and ran it through his unruly blue locks. A faint grunt of annoyance passed Grimmjow's lips, his cyan eyes narrowing when he raked his fingers through his hair. He didn't bother trying to comb out the stray strands which brushed over his forehead. His hair would always remain stubborn and unkempt no matter if he brushed it or not.

Heaving another sigh the blue haired male exited the bathroom, turning off the light and walking into his extensive bedroom. The late morning sunlight fell in streams through the large glass windows, its golden glow illuminating the cream coloured walls and the spacious looking bed. Its black sheets were crumpled and roughly tossed aside from where he had sluggishly woken up half an hour previously. Glancing at the bedside clock, its neon red lights flashing the current time as being 11:56 am, Grimmjow rose a brow in amusement. Normally, he would be sleeping in until well past midday on the weekend.

_There's a first time for everythin'_. He thought, giving a faint snorted laugh. Making his short journey to the walk-in robe, he pulled out a pair of black track pants and a loose short-sleeved grey shirt. As he did so, beginning the motions of putting on his attire for the day, he found his thoughts straying once more to the issue that had continued to trouble his mind throughout the night.

Kurosaki Ichigo.

His cyan eyes narrowing in thought, Grimmjow tugged the shirt over his head, straightening out the garment as it hugged his muscled form. Exiting the wardrobe he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. He had spent most of his night mulling over the previous day, and of the conversations that had taken place at dinner.

He had learnt that sticking up and fighting to maintain one's pride was the only way to survive, especially when it came to his childhood. And the English teacher had come to realise through his years that fighting to maintain the pride of others, especially when they were unable to defend themselves in turn, brought an equal sense of fulfilment to him. That was why he was willing to help see through his promise to help the boy, to make sure that he was able to see his ambition out to the very end.

The corner of his lips pulling up into a slight grin, a rumbling chuckle left Grimmjow's mouth. After all, he and Kurosaki were very similar. The fiery temper and the sense of burning determination that he was being exposed to from the youth reminded him quite fondly of his own teenage self.

_He's kinda like a little brother to me_. He mused, shaking his head and chuckling once more.

Passing by the nearby desk, his eyes were drawn towards a photograph. His high school basketball team photo glanced back at him, the reflection of the frame's glass catching his attention. He swept his gaze briefly over the six faces staring back, the young males seated down upon the bench and sporting the red and green of the school colours.

One tall boy of Asian background, his hair glossy black and his expression stern and proud, the youth evidently knowledgeable. One rounded and portly looking teen, his brown hair cut into a rough bob. A short, ash-blond haired teen with the faintest evidence of acne marking his cheeks, his teeth pointed and sharp. The tallest of the group, a boy with long black and red-streaked hair, his figure stout. A boy the same height as Grimmjow, his long flaxen blond hair sweeping down his back, his skin a tanned brown and his form muscled yet lean. Then, next to him, was a teen with wild looking features, his tanned skin and his toned form pronounced, his cyan eyes sharp and his bright blue hair unruly even back then.

Another smile pulled at the corners of Grimmjow's lips, the image of both him and his friends bringing back fond memories.

_I was gonna ask if there was another match later on,_ he mused as he regarded the picture of himself, Shawlong, Nakeem, Di Roy, Edrad and Yylfordt.

His thoughts were drawn back towards Ichigo when he continued past the desk, making his way out of his room and closing the door behind him. The kid had had nothing but a rough time for five months. Grimmjow found his brows creasing in thought, trying to find some sort of means to help provide aid to the orange haired teen.

Sighing heavily, his steps muffled faintly on the carpeted hallway, he paused when he stood outside the closed door which opened to reveal the spare room. He raised a hand, knocking on the wooden surface.

He didn't hear a response from within.

Rolling his eyes, he knocked harder.

A dulled thud echoed from inside.

His frown increasing, Grimmjow pressed his ear to the door, trying to gather what was going on inside the room. That thud sounded like someone had fallen onto the floor. Swallowing thickly, Grimmjow willed his heart rate to kick back and relax.

_Shit… is he havin' a fit in there or somethin'?!_

"Ichi?" His voice was surprisingly calm when he called out. There was no response for a moment. He tried again, more urgently this time. "Oi, Ichi, are you ok in there?"

There was another thudding sound.

Now truly scared that the teen was having some sort of epileptic seizure, Grimmjow enclosed his hand around the doorknob.

"Ichi, I'm comin' in." He warned loudly, throwing the door open. Thankfully it wasn't locked.

With a resounding  _slam_ , the door hit the wall, Grimmjow racing inside, his eyes frantically searching the room. He looked to the left and saw Ichigo still in bed, but he was sporadically twitching, his body hitting against the wall with a dull thud, causing the unnerving noise to echo throughout the room.

Swearing under his breath, Grimmjow's eyes were wide when he drew up alongside the shaking teen.

"Ichi! Oi, Ichi!" His voice was shaken, one hand reaching out to grip the boy's shoulder, and the other resting against the teen's cheek. His skin was clammy, Ichigo's forehead drenched with sweat. Grimmjow felt a relentless fear pulsing through his chest, his stomach feeling like it had dropped from inside of him. He swallowed thickly.

A faint cry passed the boy's lips. Grimmjow's eyes widened yet again; Ichigo had uttered one word, his voice broken and hoarse.

_Mother._

Gritting his teeth, Grimmjow sat himself on the edge of the bed, hastily pressing his hand to the teen's forehead, shaking the boy gently in some efforts to slowly rouse him from his sleep.

_Shit. He's having a nightmare._

"Ichi… please, c'mon. Wake up…"

Another groan fell from Ichigo's lips, the teen's eyelids fluttering and further whimpers passing his throat. His chest was heaving rapidly, small trickles of silvery tears brimming down his cheeks.

Grimmjow moved to thumb them away, his teeth gritting once again.

_Fucking hell… the boy needs help._

"Ichi…" He tried again, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. His eyes narrowed. "Snap out of this."

He pressed his hand back to the teen's cheeks, feeling Ichigo's burning skin. A few seconds went by, the youth's struggling lessening somewhat, his breathing calming. Grimmjow shook the boy's shoulders gently once more, Ichigo's eyelids fluttering yet again.

Another groan fell from his chapped lips, eyes blinking and watery brown irises opening to gaze up into cyan blue moments later.

"Grimm… jow…"

* * *

_He felt sick._

_The blinding lights burned through his retinas, his vision prickling with white sparking dots which exploded across his sight._

_The sound of monitors beeping in a relentless cacophony of mind-numbing fear increased to match the frantic beating of his own heart._

_He felt dizzy._

_The lights moved, dancing across his blurry eyes. Warmth spilled down his cheeks. He realised he was crying._

_Figures ran back and forth, someone had begun yelling. The green-clad forms weaved to and fro, the screaming becoming louder. Voices rose in garbled messes of words, streams of unrecognisable sounds falling from mask-covered mouths._

_"Too late… condition serious… have to… let go."_

_The screaming became louder. It was only then that Ichigo realised the screams were his own._

_The beeping of the monitors increased in their frantic crescendo. His heartbeat soared, his body drenched in a cold sweat, his mind frozen. He was unable to move._

_"Three… two… one."_

_The beeping stopped. The crowd drew closer. In the brief glimpse of the figure on the operating bed that he was afforded from the slight parting of doctors, Ichigo saw a head of long, orange hair, tubes shoved cruelly down the woman's throat. Machines were attached to needles in her arms. There was silence._

_The beeping became a single, low drone. One flat note, neither rising nor falling. It was a dead monotone._

_The tears flowed fast and freely._

_"… Gone…"_

_Ichigo's voice was hoarse. He screamed once more._

_"Mother…"_

_The lights dimmed down until the room was no longer flooded with their unforgiving brightness. A gloved hand moved to press to his shoulder._

_"She's gone. I'm sorry."_

_Ichigo couldn't move. He felt bile rise in his throat. His voice was hoarse._

_"Mo…the…r…"_

_He was being pulled gently back. He blinked, only then finding the strength to will his stricken body into action. He screamed out, the light fading on the figure of the woman, her pale skin as cold as the winter's snow. She did not move. She didn't give any sign that she had heard her only son. The light faded, the darkness encompassing the figure of the woman in death's black embrace._

_The bed covers were pulled over her lifeless form._

_It was the last time he would ever see her._

_Ichigo felt himself spiral down. His voice was broken, his scream ringing in fractured echoes around the emergency room._

_"MOOTTHHEERRR!"_

His eyes flew open, the tugging on his body pulling him away from the blackness of his mind, the lightless depths of his darkest memory. Light flooded his senses once more, though this time, it was not the piercing rays of the operating room.

This light was golden, calm, and warm. Sunlight.

His frantic gasps for breath echoing throughout the room, his chest heaving with each shallow intake of air, Ichigo could hear his heartbeat hammering in his ears just as relentlessly as the trailing sound of the life-support monitor.

The sound of that toneless, dead trill reverberated in his mind mercilessly, tormenting his already tormented mind beyond all semblance of sanity.

He could feel the tugging on his shoulder become more pronounced. He swallowed thickly, his blurred vision, his cheeks still hot with his tears, focusing on bright blue as the brilliant colour came into sight. He vaguely registered this new presence, the teen's mind slowly working to free him from the clutches of his nightmare.

His mouth moved in a hushed whisper, the name leaving his lips before he truly knew what he was saying.

"Grimm… jow…"

Cyan eyes softened faintly, though the intense anxiety in the man's gaze remained clearly evident on the blue haired man's expression. He gripped Ichigo's shoulders, helping to pull the youth up into a sitting position against the bed.

"I'm here, Ichi… holy fuck, are you ok?!"

Ichigo groaned faintly, giving a brief nod and forcing himself to take deep, slow breaths as he moved a hand to press it against his forehead. The hands on his shoulders were warm and comforting to him, Grimmjow pulling back slightly to take in the sight of the now-awoken teen.

"Yeah… yeah… 'm fine…" Ichigo's voice came out as a quiet, broken whisper.

"You sure about that? You were flailing about an' everythin'."

Ichigo's teeth grit, his stomach flipping over itself inside of him. He slowly lifted his head, his pained brown eyes glancing up at the expression of fear etched onto his English teacher's wild looking features.

He chanced a slight smile, though he knew it came out as more of a grimace.

"It was a nightmare. That's all." He murmured.

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed, the vibrant blues of his irises echoing disbelief. He held Ichigo's gaze for a few moments longer, evidently searching the boy's face for any further sign of explanation. Seeing none, he sighed, lifting a muscled arm to run his hand through his locks. His expression softened.

"Alright then, Ichi. How about you get yourself all cleaned up and then come down for breakfast, yeah?" His rough voice was quiet, the man's tone almost going unheard.

Ichigo was thankful that his teacher wasn't willing to press the matter. His smile slowly widened despite himself. He nodded.

Grimmjow continued to study the teen for a while longer, his expression still searching the youth's. He removed himself from the edge of the bed, slowly straightening himself up. A faint smile forming on his lips in return, he nodded and clapped Ichigo on the shoulder before striding over to the door, exiting the spare room.

Ichigo waited a moment until he heard the footsteps of the man fading down the stairs. Allowing him another minute of silence, the orangette let loose another deep breath. Falling forward so his head was hiding in his hands, he rubbed his eyes.

Swallowing thickly, he willed himself to push the horrid memories of that fateful day five months ago out of his mind, like he always did every night that he was plagued by the same tormenting vision.

Peering through the slits of his fingers, he blinked, his warm brown eyes now regaining their look of focus.

_I just want to forget. Why is that so hard?_

Kicking his legs over the edge of the mattress, he swung himself over and stood up. Rubbing his forehead, the teen made to enter the bathroom, the only thoughts he allowed to enter his mind being those of breakfast.

* * *

There was nothing better, Ichigo thought, than walking into the kitchen first thing upon waking up and becoming assaulted with the truly tantalising scent of breakfast being cooked.

His stomach seemed to agree with him, letting loose an audible growl of both satisfaction and impatience when the orange haired teen reached the bottom of the stairs, heading left down the corridor and moving into the spacious white-washed walls of the immaculate room, the smell of crispy bacon and eggs filling his nostrils.

He was most definitely certain that his mouth was watering.

A wave of a distinctly bitter yet wholesome aroma washed over him the closer he walked into the kitchen; turning his gaze to the kitchen bench top, Ichigo noted that fresh coffee was being brewed from the nearby machine.

The clatter of utensils and the sound of movement redirected his eyes to the form of his English teacher finishing the last touches with their morning meal, the blue haired man's back turned away from the teen and his attention focused on moving the food onto some plates.

Ichigo's brows rose faintly as he took the time to observe his sensei; the black track pants and the loose short-sleeved grey shirt being worn by the man certainly exuded an air of one who was both rebellious and lackadaisical. Yet as the youth's eyes swept over the toned muscled form of the man in front, the grey shirt hugging the well-defined figure especially, he found himself thinking the same thing for not the first time.

_This guy's really a teacher?_

Shaking his head and scoffing a faint laugh, Ichigo's lips pulled forth into a smile as he stepped over to the table, seating himself down.

"Mornin', sensei." He called out, his tone pleasant as the blue haired man turned his head to gaze at the teen when he had spoken. The teacher rolled his eyes, a snort of annoyance falling from his lips.

"Cheeky bastard." Grimmjow muttered, a grin pulling at his lips regardless. Ichigo laughed, thanking him when the taller male placed down a plateful of food in front of the youth.

A groan left Ichigo's lips, the teen's stomach growling in anticipation of the truly delicious looking meal in front of him, the bacon and eggs cooked to visual perfection and, another groan leaving his lips when he picked up his knife and fork and cut away at the slices of meat and eggs, opening his mouth and swallowing mouthful after mouthful, he was pleased to note literal perfection as well.

"Do you want some coffee?"

A muffled noise of some sort of agreement came from Ichigo's mouth, Grimmjow grinning again and turning back to the bench top to pour out two mugs of the steaming hot beverage. Seating himself down opposite the teen, he passed Ichigo his drink, the latter accepting it with another muffled "thank you."

Taking a drink of the slightly bitter yet very satisfying liquid, Ichigo sighed in content, fully enjoying the comforting warmth of the aromatic coffee. He felt eyes study him carefully, and he lifted his head to see Grimmjow looking at him, a blue eyebrow raised in amusement.

Ichigo returned the look, grinning and taking another sip of his drink before placing the mug back down on the table.

"You know, the food's really good. I don't see why you couldn't have cooked something last night." The youth mentioned casually, his brown eyes glinting with mirth.

Grimmjow barked out a laugh, lifting up his own coffee cup and taking a sip, lowering the mug and beginning to eat his own food shortly after.

"I'm pretty sure it's established I'm a lazy son of a bitch, Kurosaki." He responded, his lips widening into his familiar wild grin.

Ichigo laughed aloud once more, his chuckles joining his teacher's. The two continued to eat in a companionable silence, the seconds ticking past with no air of awkwardness. It was only when the food had been eaten, faint sighs of satisfaction leaving the pair's lips, when they spoke up once more.

"How are you feeling, Ichi?"

Ichigo blinked, looking up from his coffee to see his teacher's eyes on him, the vibrant cyan depths of Grimmjow's irises trained intently on the teen's face. Ichigo swallowed thickly, knowing by the quiet tone of the man's voice exactly what the taller man was referring to.

He sighed, taking another slow sip of his drink. It was a couple of minutes until he replied.

"A lot better, thank you." He whispered. Grimmjow sat back in his chair, his eyes still on the youth. Ichigo sighed again.

"Like I said. It was just a nightmare."

Grimmjow rose a brow in a purveyance of disbelief.

"Some nightmare, Ichigo." He murmured. Ichigo gave a faint laugh, running a hand through his spiky orange locks.

"Yeah. I've… had them ever since she died." He continued to whisper. His gaze drew towards the opposite wall, his fingertips drumming against the tabletop in an untimed rhythm. His teacher continued to remain silent, evidently waiting for him to elaborate further. Taking in a deep breath, Ichigo spoke up once more.

"It's a recurring dream. It's always of… the moment when we lost her. In the operating theatre. Her condition was too life-threatening for the doctors to operate, so they… let her go."

Ichigo rested his chin on his palm, his gaze becoming steady.

"I've learnt to put up with them for the most part, these dreams. I just expect them, to be honest. Seeing it replay in my mind every night doesn't make me feel any better about her death, obviously, but… it just makes me want to work harder to keep my promise to her." He finished, his voice wavering.

Grimmjow's expression softened slightly, the blue haired man leaning forwards in his chair to prop his elbows on the table. He gazed out of the window momentarily, taking in the streams of the now-afternoon sunset glowing through the windowpane, his features set into a look of deep contemplation.

"Ichigo, I was thinkin' last night about how I was gonna help you." He murmured after a moment. Ichigo turned to look at his sensei, his warm brown eyes echoing slight confusion.

Grimmjow shifted his gaze back to the orange haired youth, studying the boy's features carefully.

"You don't seem like the type to want to get help from the school counsellor, so I'm gonna give this to you straight. Yer gonna have to move out of that house of yours, there's no other way around it."

Ichigo sighed faintly, giving a slight nod before closing his eyes.

"I know that." He murmured. His tone was laced with an edge of hurt. "But what about Karin and Yuzu?"

Grimmjow considered this.

"They're in the same situation, though not as bad as what you are from what you've told me. I can understand that ya want them to be with you at all costs, so on Monday I'm going to ask around and see if there's any nearby care programs which can accommodate you and your sisters. You're old enough to live by yourself, so while you're continuin' with yer studies, there can be someone coming in to check up on you all every so often."

Ichigo was silent for a moment, allowing the teacher's words to settle in his brain. He leant forward in his seat.

"They have things like that?" He asked, blinking. Grimmjow nodded.

"Sure do. At least, at our school anyway. There was somethin' similar we had for another student way back when. Can't remember the kid's name, but the principal allowed 'im to settle down at a school-owned share house an' we had teachers comin' in to help make sure he was alright. I don't know how Yama-jii can afford it... some of the teaching staff suspect he's been doin' illegal shit." The teacher's eyes twinkled at the end of his sentence. Ichigo's lips pulled into a smirk.

"Yamamoto-sensei's doing illegal stuff?" He echoed. Grimmjow's smile grew wider.

"Everyone loves a conspiracy." He replied simply. Despite himself, Ichigo laughed. Presently, his features smoothed back over into a look of contemplation.

"How am I going to get all the money for this though?" He asked.

"Don't worry about that, I'll take care of things." Grimmjow answered, crossing his arms over his chest. He blinked when Ichigo turned his head to face him, an incredulous expression in his warm brown eyes.

"What?" The English teacher questioned.

Ichigo continued to stare, otherwise lost for words momentarily.

"You don't have to do that…" He managed to speak up a moment later.

Grimmjow scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"'Course I do. It's not like you have the money to do it yourself, Kurosaki. You just told me that. Learn to accept someone's help for once." He retorted.

Ichigo's lips pulled into a faint smile, though his eyes were still laced heavily with a look of incredulity. He chuckled, shaking his head and lifting a hand to rub his eyes.

"Thanks." He whispered.

He received a nod in response. There was another silence which fell upon the two, broken moments later by Ichigo lifting his head to gaze at the clock on the wall.

It was nearing 1 in the afternoon.

He bit his lip, chewing it absentmindedly in thought. Presently, he looked back to his teacher.

"I should probably head back home tonight." He announced quietly. Grimmjow looked back to the teen from where he was about to finish off his coffee.

"Is yer father going to be there?" He questioned, his expression once more becoming concerned. Ichigo shook his head.

"No. He normally just stays for that one night and then he leaves again the next morning." Ichigo responded, his voice bitter. His hands clenched slightly, his fingers relaxing a minute later as he took in a deep breath.

Grimmjow watched this, nodding faintly and tilting his head back to drain off the rest of his drink. Standing up from the kitchen table moments later, he moved to pick up the empty plates and mugs, placing them in the sink to be washed later on.

Ichigo watched with mild interest as Grimmjow then headed off to the counter, tearing off a piece of note paper and grabbing a pen. Writing something down, he then walked back over to the youth, passing Ichigo the slip of paper. Ichigo took it, his brows pulled forth in an expression of confusion when he inspected the numerals scrawled down.

"That's my number. If you want to contact me at any stage, go right ahead."

Ichigo lifted his head to gaze into the cyan depths of his teacher's eyes, his brown irises blinking in stunned shock. His teacher offered a shrug of his shoulders, lifting a hand to run it through his unruly blue locks.

Ichigo grinned, pocketing the number and nodding.

"Thanks, Grimmjow." He answered. His teacher nodded, reaching over and grabbing his car keys from the countertop.

"Whenever you're ready I'll take ya back home." He continued, fixing Ichigo with another look before walking back out towards the lounge room. Ichigo remained seated for a few seconds longer, his fingertips absentmindedly stroking along the fold of the paper in his pocket.

Mulling over the thoughts running through his mind, he allowed a faint smile to cross his lips before reaching his decision. He stood up, tucking the chair back underneath the table and quickly racing back upstairs to the spare room.

Before he left, he needed to leave something behind.

* * *

The sound of the car doors shutting echoed around the small courtyard of the clinic, Ichigo straightening himself up as he slid out of the passenger seat.

Breathing an audible sigh of relief, he noted that Grimmjow's car was the only car parked here, meaning his father and Matsumoto had already left. He was grateful for this – after all, despite Ichigo's unwelcome presence in Isshin's life, even Ichigo was unable to tell what would happen upon his father's discovery that he had spent the night at his teacher's place.

Ichigo almost rose an eyebrow at this thought; he snorted faintly in amusement.

_Now that's not something you hear every day_.

"At least he's not home."

Ichigo was brought out of his inner musings at the sound of his teacher's comment. Turning his head, he saw his sensei regarding the house in front of them with quiet intrigue. His cyan eyes glanced over the large painted 'Kurosaki Clinic' above the doorway, the medium-sized home exuding a comforting air.

Ichigo sighed, nodding. Grimmjow's attention was brought back to him, his blue eyes regarding the youth with an understanding gaze.

"You'll be ok, yeah?" He asked.

Ichigo nodded once more, a slight grin pulling at his lips. Seeing this, Grimmjow allowed a brief chuckle to fall from his lips, the blue haired man nodding and seating himself back down in the driver's seat. He shut the door behind him.

"See ya on Monday, Ichi. Try an' take care of yerself, yeah? Call me if there's any trouble."

Ichigo's smile grew, the teen lifting a hand and waving as the rumbling purr of the car's engine growled through the driveway. Grimmjow raised his hand in a returned gesture, parting a last glance with the teen as he carefully reversed out into the street, straightening the car and blaring the horn as he put the vehicle into gear, tearing off down the road.

His cyan gaze was resolute as he drove through the small neighbourhood, the wind whipping through his wild blue locks from the open window. Grimmjow's mind was occupied only with the thoughts of Monday's school day, and of how he was going to seek help for the orange haired youth.

These thoughts continued to eat away incessantly at his brain, even as the English teacher closed the door and entered the confines of his own home some forty minutes later. Reaching up a hand to once more run it through his untidy mop of hair, a faint grunt of exasperation left the man's lips.

Sighing heavily, he threw his keys down onto the couch, fully intending to spend the rest of his weekend locked inside of his room to concentrate on the matter. Passing by the kitchen, he stopped momentarily to fetch himself another cup of coffee. Just as the blue haired male reached out a hand to collect a fresh mug from the kitchen cupboard, he looked down to the glossed black bench top. And that's when he saw it.

His eyes narrowing, he brought his hand down and turned to face the table, moving forwards to pick up the notebook that was situated atop the bench.

"Did he forget his work?" He mused quietly, his eyebrow raising and a chuckle falling from his lips. Sighing once more, he opened the workbook, quickly flipping through the lined pages filled with unusually neat handwriting. He was just about to place the book back when something else caught his eye.

His brows pulling forth into a look of confusion, Grimmjow pulled out the chair and sat himself down, placing the book flat against the surface and scanning his eyes over the words which rose up to meet him.

He blinked.

_This is…_

"His narrative?" His tone was astonished, his eyes once more darting back and forth between the words written before him. Unable to help himself, he began to read, seating himself further back against the chair and crossing his legs one over the other on the table surface.

* * *

"Onii-chan!"

Ichigo lifted his head at the sound of his sister's call, Yuzu rushing up to greet him when the orange haired teen entered the living room. The small girl bounded towards him, her head of mousey brown hair bobbing with her movements. Ichigo smiled softly, giving a quiet laugh when his sister attached herself to his waist, wrapping her thin arms around his back and burying her head against his stomach.

"Hey, Yuzu." He answered quietly, sliding his arms down to hold her in a warm embrace, tilting his head so he could place a soft kiss to her forehead.

Her grip around him tightened, the girl hugging her brother close.

"Is Karin home?" Ichigo asked a moment later, a silence settling over the two. Yuzu shook her head.

"She's having soccer practice." She answered, pulling away slowly and gazing up at the teen, her brown eyes watery with her threatening tears of relief.

Ichigo reached out a hand and fondly caressed the girl's cheek, Yuzu sniffling and managing a smile of her own, removing herself and taking her brother's offered hand when Ichigo guided them into the kitchen. She didn't ask about Ichigo's disappearance – both she and Karin were familiar with Ichigo's decision and need to escape their father's presence. It was an unspoken rule between them to not question about their brother during these times. He would usually spend the night at a friends' house, and would always return to them the next morning. Just as he did today.

"You two are… alright, aren't you?" Ichigo murmured softly, his tone quiet and edged with wavering concern when he lifted his sister up, helping her back onto the kitchen chair. Yuzu nodded, her small hand reaching out to clasp her brother's tightly. She offered a small smile, trying her best to reassure her older brother.

"We're fine, onii-chan. He left straight after…" Her timid voice was equally quiet, almost going unheard by Ichigo's ears. He managed to catch this though, and breathed an audible sigh of relief. He offered a pained smile.

"I'm glad. Things will get better Yuzu, ok? I promise. We're finally going to get some help." Catching the excitement in his warm brown eyes, Yuzu blinked, her brows furrowing slightly in confusion.

"Onii-chan?" She questioned. Ichigo smiled.

"I spoke to one of my teachers last night... he's going to help us, Yuzu. We're finally going to have a way out of this." His voice was a hushed whisper, though his sister caught the barely restrained joy in Ichigo's words. Her eyes widened, her expression now shocked. She reached out a small hand and wrapped it around his own.

"R-really?" She breathed. Ichigo's grin became even wider, the smile reaching his warm brown eyes. He nodded.

"Really. I won't find out more till Monday, but my English teacher saw me at the park yesterday. He... was actually really understanding about everything. And he said he'd try to do what he could. I feel like we're actually going to make it through this, Yuzu. You and Karin won't have to keep staying with Rukia when it gets bad. For the first time in ages I think... we're actually going to be ok..." His warm brown eyes were filled with such a sharp determination, Yuzu was momentarily taken aback. For a moment, Ichigo was truly Ichigo again - the same older brother that he was before their mother's death. For the first time since then, he seemed genuinely... happy. Yuzu's lips twitched up into a soft smile, her eyes blurring faintly with tears. She sniffed and slowly nodded her head.

"Onii-chan…" Her voice was a sniffled whisper. Smiling faintly again, Ichigo drew her in close for another warm embrace, running his hand through her soft hair before pulling away and beginning to leave the kitchen.

"I'm just going up to my room for a bit. I'll help you make dinner later on. Let me know when Karin comes back so I can tell her too." His call was answered with an affirmative nod, Ichigo grinning faintly in response and beginning the slow trek towards his room.

Sighing heavily, he ran a hand through his orange locks. He found that he somewhat missed the company of his teacher at this point in time, yet he needed to ensure that his sisters were still alright.

_Perhaps I can stay a bit longer if he lets me next time._

Snorting with amusement at this sudden thought, he shook his head, sighing once more and enclosing his hand around the doorhandle. Pushing open his door, the teen entered the confines of his own room. He still felt exhausted from the morning, yet he willed himself to remain awake for at least a few moments longer.

Sweeping his brown eyed gaze upon the dishevelled mess of his bed, his desk littered with his books and his computer, the window still open and the breeze coursing through the small room, Ichigo noted with faint humour that it really wasn't as tidy as the spare room in his teacher's house. A faint buzzing noise drew his attention, Ichigo's eyes narrowing when he heard the sudden sound.

His sight drawing towards his desk, he saw his phone lighting up, signalling that he had received a new message. His eyes widened.

_Shit. I left my phone here yesterday._

Worried that whomever the person was who was texting him now had been trying to do so previously, he walked over and reached out, his fingers sliding over the touch screen to unlock the main menu. The image of his favourite music group rose to meet him, his thumb pressing against the 'inbox' icon.

_1 new message: Renji._

His brows pulling forth into a slight frown, his eyes darted back and forth as he read the new message.

_Sado and I r goin' 2 the park 4 soccer. U wanna come?_

Relaxing slightly when he noted that the message was sent only now, Ichigo moved to seat himself on the bed, chewing his bottom lip slightly in thought.

_What can it hurt to go out for a few hours?_

It was true that he hadn't been out with his friends for quite some time, having taken to locking himself away most every night when school had finished. He did wish to spend some time with them properly once more though, if only for a little while. Sighing and gazing at the opposite wall, Ichigo contemplated his decision.

Shrugging his shoulders as if to emphasise his unspoken choice, he returned his glance to the phone screen, typing his response on the keypad.

_Sure thing. I'll meet you there._

Pressing send, he stood up to scavenge around in his wardrobe, searching for more appropriate clothes to change into. Smiling faintly, he couldn't help but think that the rest of his weekend suddenly wouldn't seem so bad after all.

* * *

The sound of the clock ticking echoed in its noisome drone throughout the still silence of the kitchen walls.

One hour had passed since he had begun reading.

The sound of a soft rustle of paper permeated the air, the gentle thud of the notebook being placed against the bench top following soon after.

Grimmjow's features were unreadable, his eyes unblinking as he gazed intently at the open workbook in front of him. He remained seated, unable to move.

Coming to his senses some few seconds later, he reached out a hand and enclosed his fingers around the pen which was lying next to the youth's work on the tabletop. Uncapping the lid, Grimmjow pressed the pen to paper and began to write.

Leaning back against the chair, he allowed an exhale of breath to pass his lips. He felt entirely overwhelmed.

His lips pulling into a wide grin, he shook his head, fondly eyeing the large 'A+' he had noted down on Ichigo's narrative.

"Wow."

 


	6. Silver Lining

 

"Pass!"

"Sado! Back to you!"

"Ichigo!"

"Got it!"

The late afternoon air was cool and laced with a distinct florally fragrance as the trees overhead swayed in the evening gusts of wind. The sunset was hidden by a low formation of cloud passing across the blue of the sky, the calls of birds from nearby accompanying the flock of sparrows which hurriedly flew away from the gnarled branches as the soccer ball was sent coursing once more through the air.

Seeing his chance, Ichigo grit his teeth and wiped the sweat from his brow, his leg arching out to catch the ball and balance it on his kneecap, bouncing it once, twice upon his leg before swinging out and sending it barrelling harshly into the nearby goalpost.

Grinning widely, he reached up and clapped his hands against Sado's, the gentle giant of a boy offering his orange haired friend a thumbs up. Renji raced up, laughing as he enclosed the orangette in a friendly headlock, Ichigo grappling with the redhead's arms and struggling to push him off.

"Oi! Renji! Gerroff me!" Ichigo cried out, his lips forming a wide grin despite himself.

Renji threw his head back in a bark of laughter, finally releasing his friend and clapping him on the back when the youth stumbled away, panting faintly for air. A tattooed brow rose in amusement, the spiky red haired teen observing Ichigo for a moment longer until the youth regained his breath.

"To be honest Ichigo, Sado an' I weren't sure you'd even want to come along." He spoke up after a while, crossing his arms over his chest whilst Sado moved off to collect the soccer ball.

Ichigo wiped his brow, blinking for a moment as streams of sunlight falling behind the trees momentarily blinded his vision. He shook his head, focusing his gaze back on Renji.

"Yeah well, I thought I might as well, you know?" He spoke up, giving a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. "I haven't hung out with you guys for a while."

Renji nodded, already beginning to move off, Sado now walking back up to the two and throwing the ball to the redhead who caught it and began guiding it along on the grass in front of him, kicking it along with his feet.

There was a companionable silence which fell upon the three, Renji guiding the ball towards Ichigo, who in turn kicked it over to Sado. The evening sunlight dipped lower behind the green borders of the park, the air bringing with it a sweet fragrance of blossoms in the wind.

"Ah crap. School's back on Monday." Renji groaned out suddenly as soon as the trio had exited the soccer court. The redhead reached up and gripped his hair, a despondent wail falling from his lips. Ichigo rose a brow in amusement, sharing a look with Sado whose expression mirrored the orangette's own.

"What's wrong Renji?" Sado asked, his deep voice holding a faint air of concern.

Renji shot him a dirty look.

"You know very well what's wrong, Sado." He hissed. "That freakin' narrative is due!"

Sado gave a non-committal grunt in response.

"I've already finished mine." He answered simply. Renji blinked.

"What?" He asked, dumbfounded. The dark haired teen nodded. Despite himself, Ichigo couldn't help the slight grin which quirked at the corners of his lips at this. Out of all of his friends, Abarai Renji was the least organised. A fact which continued to make itself known to the red haired teenager in the most unfortunate of ways. The youth was still angry from having a double detention last week by both the Chemistry and Biology teachers for failing to hand up his practical reports. Mentally counting down the seconds it would take until Renji began complaining about his "unfair treatment" once more, Ichigo raised his gaze to the afternoon sky.

He reached three seconds until Renji started up again.

"So I suppose you have all your science homework done too, do you?" He pressed, his brow twitching. "Just because you're all goody-goody with the teachers. I had to go through hell and back last week! Not even Urahara-sensei can compare with those two. At least  _his_ madness is bearable!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. Sado just blinked, his normally stoic expression now forming one of amusement.

"Renji, you ever think that the reason Kurotsuchi-sensei and Granz-sensei kept you back was because you didn't bother to do your homework?" The orange haired youth interjected, seeing the redhead about to lash out once more at Sado.

Renji rounded on him, his expression agitated.

"That's got nothin' to do with it!" He complained, an angry tic forming in his forehead. "They kept me back because they're evil! I was being leered at like I was… I was…" he shuddered, "an _experiment_."

At this Ichigo could barely restrain his snort of laughter.

"Oh really? Yeah, because they make it a habit of planning ways to dissect you and hang you up in the classroom for Biochemistry 101." He snickered. Renji's expression became mortified.

"I knew it…" He breathed, his brown eyes widening in fear. Ichigo brought his hand up to his forehead, sighing and rubbing his eyes.

"Renji, calm down. Granz-sensei isn't that bad. He's actually quite a fair teacher and really nice once you get to know him." He sighed again.

Renji's gaze became apprehensive.

"I noticed you didn't say anything about Kurotsuchi-sensei." He pointed out, his brow still raised.

Ichigo visibly winced.

"Yeah well… he's an exception. I'd say he actually  _does_ plan on using you in an experiment." He added.

Renji gripped his hair again and groaned out loud.

"I'm so fucked!" He wailed.

Ichigo had to turn his head to hide his sniggers, unable to resist teasing his friend. Another silence fell over the three, their steps languid and slow down the deserted street path.

"How about you, Ichigo? Have you finished your narrative yet?" Ichigo was brought out of his inner musings by Renji's voice again. A slight grin forming on his lips, Ichigo lifted his head to gaze once more at the sunset-streaked clouds above. He nodded.

"Yeah. I did it on Friday night." He murmured quietly. This time Sado joined Renji in looking at him with shock etched onto their faces. Ichigo noticed this, blinking and staring blankly back at his friends.

"What?" He asked, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

"Dude… that is  _not_ healthy." Renji gawked. Ichigo frowned.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He retorted, now feeling more than agitated. "At least I get my work done."

Renji visibly bristled at this comment, but a hand being placed on his shoulder from Sado calmed him down.

"Did Jaegerjaquez-sensei keep you behind in class and make you work on it all Friday night?" Sado asked, his tone expressing genuine interest and concern. Ichigo laughed, shaking his head.

"No, nothing like that. I just… I dunno. Wanted to get it done." He muttered. Though he'd spoken to Sado and Renji about Grimmjow offering to help him insofar as talking to Yamamoto-sensei, he certainly didn't feel comfortable telling them about the weekend he had spent with his teacher. They could just keep assuming that he and the blue haired English sensei were still reasonably at odds.

Renji picked up the soccer ball, Sado having kicked it back to him. He was silent, continuing to gaze at Ichigo carefully.

"You know, Ichigo... I find this sudden good will of his in terms of helping you to be somewhat suspicious. I mean after all you've been getting along with him a lot better in class. What happened? You both finally get tired of your shit and you beat some sense into each other?" He grinned.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed, the orange haired teen reaching out and punching his friend in the shoulder.

"Shut up Renji." He grumbled, sighing heavily and rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. Renji sniggered again, Sado falling silent once more.

"Yeah. I guess in a way we did." His friends lifted their heads to gaze back at Ichigo, the orangette having spoken up quietly again after a few seconds. The other two exchanged a glance, shrugging their shoulders.

"Detention's a bitch. That'd do that to anyone." Renji mumbled under his breath. Ichigo smirked.

"What's that, Renji? I hear that Kurotsuchi-sensei's looking for more assistants in his next chemistry prac on Tuesday." He mentioned flippantly.

"FUCK YOU, KUROSAKI!" Renji yelled.

Laughing, Ichigo and Sado continued on, Renji crying out and racing back up to the two when they walked straight past him.

On his way back home, a smile touched Ichigo's lips, the orange haired teen unable to keep his thoughts wondering from what his English teacher's reaction would be to his narrative tomorrow morning.

* * *

Monday.

Normally he carried a begrudging hatred for the start of the new week, as did a lot of the teachers and students, but as he breezed through the front doors of Karakura High School, Grimmjow found himself of the opinion that today couldn't have arrived fast enough.

The corridors were bustling with students, early-morning complaints ringing out through the hallways. Teachers were already assembling, beginning their usual ritual of keeping pending fights at bay. He walked past them all, Grimmjow's mind only set on one thing.

His textbooks under his arm, he gave no heed to calls from pupils and other teaching staff around him, the blue haired man merely giving a grunt and a nod of his head in response.

Turning towards a right at the end of the hall, he continued straight on towards the principal's office. He had gotten out of bed that morning with more fervour than was considered normal for him, the English teacher's mind nothing but a swirling mass of determined thoughts to make the effort to arrive at school well before his first class.

He had been thinking of it non-stop that weekend, ever since Ichigo had left. A grin formed on his lips as he fondly found himself musing once more over the kid's narrative. He was still mind blown by the sheer professionalism of the youth's work, the words he had read seeming to have danced across his eyes. He had read the orange haired teen's story three times more, each time becoming swept away by the emotion, the depth and the sheer amount of passion in the boy's work.

He really was a prodigy. And that, combined with his need to help the kid, had helped fuel his decision. But first, he had other matters to attend to.

Now almost jogging towards the large oak door emblazoned with the pine wood plaque reading 'Yamamoto Genryuusai', a sharp cuss escaped his lips as Grimmjow almost found himself barrelling straight into the long white-haired figure of the school's student counsellor, Ukitake Juushirou.

Brown eyes blinked in confusion, Ukitake looking momentarily stunned.

"Grimmjow-kun, what's wrong? You're in a bit of a rush this morning." He called out as Grimmjow hastily offered a quick apology, already heading on his way once more. He looked behind him, giving the pale skinned man a sheepish wave.

"Sorry Ukitake-san. Gotta see Yama-jii about somethin'." He replied.

The white haired male gave a jovial laugh, raising his own hand in a token of farewell as he tucked his folder back under his arm once more, the elder man making to resume his path to his office.

"Fair enough. It's good to see you so lively this morning. I wish I could keep up with you young teachers and kids. I'm not what I used to be." He smiled, beaming brightly as he waved his hand and disappeared around the corridor.

Chuckling, Grimmjow stepped up towards the principal's office, a fond expression etched into his cyan eyes. Ukitake-sensei was much loved by the teaching staff and pupils alike – it was unfortunate, but he was planning on retiring at the end of the school year. Having had a long-term illness, the white haired man had made the decision during the past month to make this school term his last.

_I'll miss that poor bastard,_ the blue haired man thought to himself, chuckling faintly once more. Vaguely wondering in the back of his mind if they would ever find someone good enough to replace him when he left, the English sensei reached out his hand and knocked on the door in front of him.

An old, withered voice answered him, the principal's gruff "enter" seeming to grate through Grimmjow's ears even from where he stood on the opposite side of the door. Steeling himself, he pushed on the handle and entered Yamamoto-sensei's office, his eyes sweeping around the immaculate bookcase-lined room before settling on the ancient-looking figure of the elderly man seated behind his mahogany desk.

The man's lined eyes appeared to be closed, framed by long bushy eyebrows, yet Grimmjow had the distinct impression that he was being observed nevertheless. Nodding to his employer, he shut the door behind him and strode up towards the desk.

"It's not every day I see you here so bright and early, Jaegerjaquez. What is it and what do you want?" The principal grunted out, his voice husked with age. He lifted his head slightly, cracking open one wrinkled eye to gaze at the blue haired man standing in front of him.

Grimmjow swallowed thickly for a moment, the strictness of the elder males' tone and the prompt efficiency with which he cut straight to the chase making him feel almost uneasy for a moment. It was well-noted that Yamamoto Genryuusai was a man who obeyed rules to absoluteness, and enforced them with a reverence. Even the teachers had begun spreading rumours about him through the staff room.

"I wanted to talk to you about a student." He began, resisting the urge to shuffle somewhat awkwardly on his feet. Yamamoto regarded him carefully for a moment before indicating the chair in front of his desk. He sat down, Grimmjow settling his textbooks in front of him.

"Which student? You've never come to me with concerns such as this before, Jaegerjaquez." Yamamoto spoke up after a brief silence. Grimmjow shifted again.

"I haven't needed to." He shrugged. Then, remembering his place, he cleared his throat slightly and sat up straighter in his seat. "Kurosaki Ichigo." He continued, his tone louder and sharp.

Yamamoto's eyebrows bristled slightly as he arched them, the wizened man evidently putting the name to the face.

"Senior student. Kurosaki Isshin's kid. In your English course this year if I'm not mistaken." He grunted out. Grimmjow nodded. "What about him? He hasn't been causing trouble has he?" Yamamoto asked, his tone becoming disapproving.

Grimmjow shook his head.

"No sir, far from it." He spoke up. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "On the contrary, he's a bright kid. Very good with what he does."

Yamamoto's features relaxed slightly, the old man nodding his acceptance. His brows bristled once more as he regarded his employee.

"So what seems to be the trouble with him?" He questioned, his voice now holding a faint air of impatience.

Grimmjow sighed.

"It's his father. Recently I… was made aware that things are a bit hard at home fer the kid. Him and his sisters. Domestic abuse is one of them. I'm requesting if we can put him in a program to take 'im away from home and move him and his sisters somewhere else." The English sensei said quietly.

There was a resounding silence through the small office, the only sound audible being the ticking of the wall clock.

"How did you become aware of this?" Yamamoto's voice cut through the air like a knife moments later, his tone sharp. Grimmjow sighed again.

"I saw the kid on Friday night in the park. He was doin' his narrative assignment for class and he… showed me some injuries on 'is arm. His father's taken to drinking and drug abuse." His rough edged voice was pained.

Another silence resumed.

Yamamoto shifted slightly, leaning forwards and nestling his elbows on the table, his fingertips clasped in front of him. The air seemed to become heavy.

"This is a most serious claim." He noted, both of his eyes now opened and their watery stare holding the blue haired man's. Grimmjow nodded.

"More than you know." He said quietly.

Yamamoto grunted again, leaning back in his chair once more.

"Has he spoken to Ukitake about this?"

Grimmjow shook his head again.

"I don't think so, no. He's not the type to go an' seek help fer this. He wants to sort it out in his own way. I've spoken to him though and he agrees that he needs ta move out. The only problem is getting his sisters the same accommodation as him." The English sensei finished.

Yamamoto nodded, his trailing beard bobbing faintly with the movement of his head.

"I can't do anything about this. Not until either the boy comes in here himself and speaks to me, or his father has been taken into custody by Child Services. Until then, I'm sorry Jaegerjaquez but I cannot allow this to happen. I can see your concern for the boy, and I have no doubt that what you're telling me is the truth, but I cannot go by your word alone. Do I make myself clear?" Yamamoto's tone raised slightly towards the end of his sentence, seeing Grimmjow open his mouth and make to protest.

Biting back the angry retort which was threatening to burst from his throat, Grimmjow grit his teeth and nodded, making to pick his textbooks up from the desk.

"Send Kurosaki in here when his classes are finished. I'll speak to him then." Yamamoto finished, his tone echoing dismissal as he turned his gaze to the computer screen on his desk.

Nodding faintly, Grimmjow's jaw clenched as he made to stand up. Turning his back, he walked out of the principal's office, closing the door shut quietly behind him. Glancing at his watch, he noted the time was 8:45 am.

_Class starts in fifteen minutes_ , he noted. Grumbling faintly under his breath, the blue eyed man gave a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his unruly locks.

"At least he's willing to see 'im, I s'pose." He mused to himself, slowly exiting the offices and beginning the long trek to his classroom.

He knew that he would have had to have sent Ichigo in to see Yamamoto regardless, but it annoyed the English teacher by the apathetic display he had witnessed from the principal. The information that Ichigo was the victim of domestic abuse should have shaken the man to the very core, yet he simply cast it aside in favour of "seeing the kid later on."

Shaking his head, Grimmjow cussed faintly once more under his breath.

_Can't wait until the day that old man gets kicked out,_ he thought bitterly.

Lost in his hostile thoughts of the bearded man, Grimmjow didn't start to feel his mind relax until he stepped through the familiar sliding doors of class 1-3B.

Almost slamming his textbooks onto the wooden desk, the tanned male lifted a hand and rubbed it over his eyes, taking a deep breath.

Feeling the rush of anger swelling down, he stared blankly at the tiled flooring through the slits of his fingers. Eventually bringing his hand back down and rummaging through his pencil case for the chalk, he picked it up and turned to the blackboard, beginning the ritual of writing out today's lesson plan whilst he waited for his students to arrive.

Despite the turbulence of his mind, a small grin formed on his lips regardless as his gaze slid towards the marked narrative currently slipped safely inside the pages of his textbook.

He never thought he would say this, but for once he was excited to see his students back after the weekend – one orange haired youth in particular.

With this in mind, his grin remained plastered on his face as he continued writing.

Outside, the school bell rang, students beginning to pile down the corridors to their respective classrooms to begin the new day.

* * *

"Kurosaki-kun!"

Ichigo lifted his head, his warm brown eyes blinking as he turned to locate the girl who had spoken, Inoue Orihime's excitable cry driving into his thoughts and leaving all musings of the school hallways and his day's lessons momentarily forgotten.

He smiled, lifting a hand and waving as the red haired girl raced down the corridor towards him, her grey eyes alight with a joy which was truly infectious. Laughing awkwardly as she almost barrelled straight into a group of students who had at that moment walked out of an office from nearby, he watched as Orihime hastily apologised before finally catching up to him moments later.

Huffing faintly for breath, the redhead laughed and waved it off when Ichigo made to open his mouth to question if she was alright. She merely shook her head, her smile genuine and reaching her eyes as she gazed fondly at her friend.

"I heard you, Sado-kun and Abarai-kun were playing soccer yesterday in the park! I'm so happy to hear that! How are you today, Kurosaki-kun? Did you get your narrative finished? I spent all weekend trying to work on it and I needed Kuchiki-san's help with a couple of things but I think I have it a—"

"Woah, calm down Inoue!" Ichigo laughed, chuckling as he resumed his path down the hallway, Orihime skipping along beside him and her cheeks becoming dusted with pink as she blushed. She smiled sheepishly, nodding and reigning in her excitement.

"I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun." She apologised, somewhat bashfully. Ichigo grinned.

"What are you sorry for? I just don't want you to pass out. You need to breathe when you're talking, Inoue." He chuckled once more. The girl's cheeks flushed a brighter shade of pink, and she quickly averted her gaze.

Ichigo watched her for a few seconds, his smile softening.

_Poor girl_ , he mused. He knew that she had developed certain feelings towards him, yet he had firmly told her that he saw her as a friend and nothing more. She merely shrugged it off, though it still didn't stop her from stealing glances his way every so often.

Ichigo loved her, of course, but not in the way that she would have hoped. She was one of his closest friends, and he thought of her as a sister. Nothing more. Nothing less. He eyed her fondly, his lips pulling into a faint smile.

One day she would learn to fully accept that.

Evidently feeling his gaze still trained on her, Orihime's cheeks flushed brighter, jumbled words parting her lips as she nervously wrung her hands in front of her.

"S-so how have you been this weekend, Kurosaki-kun? Did you get your narrative finished?" She slowly met his eyes, staring sheepishly into warm brown irises.

Ichigo grinned again.

"Yep." He replied, adjusting his backpack slightly, alleviating some of the strain on his arm as he did so. "Did it on Friday night."

The pair continued onwards, edging themselves past a group of students who had congregated further down the hallway in front of one of the school's billboards. Orihime's mouth opened slightly, her eyes wide.

"Already?!" She breathed in shock. Ichigo blinked, looking back to her. She seemed, for lack of a better word, stunned. He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"Yeah… I had a lot of inspiration to go on so…" His stomach tightened uncomfortably as he spoke, Ichigo feeling a stabbing wave of guilt wash over him at his words. It was by no means a lie, but he knew that for both his friends and himself, he needed to keep them out of his affairs as much as possible. He hated involving others in matters which he was determined to sort out by himself.

Not because he wanted to sort it out himself. It was because he  _had_ to.

Tightening his hands around the straps of his schoolbag, the orange haired teen allowed his mind to calm as Orihime's excitable conversation from before was resumed, the red haired girl perking up and once more rolling off onto a joyous tangent beside him.

Smiling at brief intervals, Ichigo was only half listening to her. Instead, as the pair entered the open classroom door of room 1-3B, the orangette's attention was now fully taken by an unruly mess of brilliant blue hair, the man's toned form well-dressed today in black pants and white shirt roughly untucked as was his wont.

Cyan eyes flicking over to lock onto warm brown, the grin forming on the English teacher's lips was enough to make Ichigo all but forget his turbulent thoughts. Finding himself unable to resist grinning back, Ichigo raised his hand in a wave.

"Good morning, Jaegerjaquez-sensei!" Orihime chirped. The sensei turned his cyan gaze momentarily towards the red haired girl, the man offering a slighter grin in response.

"Mornin', Inoue." The blue haired man replied, his rough voice carrying across the room with a distinctly cheerful air. Orihime smiled widely, nodding and heading off to her seat. Grimmjow returned his gaze to Ichigo, his cyan eyes echoing mirth.

Ichigo grinned wider as he went to his seat, slinging his bag off of his shoulders and sliding it underneath the desk.

"Mornin' sensei. Did you miss me?" He breezed out. The teacher scoffed, Grimmjow rolling his eyes as he turned back to the blackboard.

"Cheeky bastard." He snorted. Ichigo's grin drew wider.

Catching that wild smile flashed his way once more, Ichigo averted his gaze and shook his head slightly, his lips pulling into a wider smile as he sat himself down.

It felt… strange to him… being back here and in his teacher's presence after the night he had spent in his house. Their interactions were still the same, but everything about it – the smiles, the cheerful greetings and the light-hearted banter – suddenly felt much more personal to the orange haired teen.

He would have for a moment likened it to something secret, comparable to an in-joke or something known only to the two of them, but Ichigo pushed it aside, not wishing to dwell on what he thought as something so sappy.

Instead, he settled further back in his seat, for once feeling completely at ease and relaxed with the world as he listened to the soothing rough roll of his teacher's voice, the blue haired man seating himself atop the teacher's desk and beginning his usual morning ritual of berating Asano for having his phone out in class once more – streams of cuss words falling in amusing tones from the teacher's lips, the class laughing along with him.

Sighing quietly in content, Ichigo pulled out his notebook, beginning today's notes as the sensei turned back to the board and began the lesson.

* * *

Flicking through his teacher's diary, Grimmjow exhaled heavily as his eyes flicked over the notes he had prepared earlier that morning for today's lesson. Barely able to suppress a groan, he lifted his head to gaze at his class, the students' eyes trained on him and echoing brief glances of confusion at his sudden show of exasperation.

Reaching up to rub the back of his neck with his hand, he cast a quick glance towards the clock on the far wall. There was an hour left of class.

Turning his gaze back to his students, he cleared his throat.

"I'm really sorry to have to do this to you all, but I can't keep on putting off Shakespeare forever. The principal's gonna have my head if I don't get around to teachin' you all what he wants from the curriculum." He explained, his rough voice apologetic.

As expected, collective groans rang out from the group, the class's expressions all reflecting his own look of disappointment.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Suck it up guys, it's only fer the last half of this lesson. I'll make this quick. Ok - crash course in Shakespeare!" Grimmjow's tone became louder, the English sensei clapping his hands together to draw everyone's full attention back to him. He shifted around slightly on the desk, making himself more comfortable.

He gazed over everyone seated once more before continuing.

"You all know his works, yeah? Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth et cetera et cetera. Don't worry – we're not gonna be studyin' any of those texts in class because I'd end up killin' myself with how lame his shit is, so I'm just going to say one thing to you all. Textual intervention. And this is basically Shakespeare in a nutshell. Can anyone tell me what textual intervention is? Or better yet, give me an example?" He glanced around the room, his cyan eyes echoing an expectant air.

There was silence, the students gazing from one to another with nervous expressions. Grimmjow continued to wait, the clock's ticking sounding faintly in the background.

"It's what you've been doing this whole time."

Eyes turned to focus on the boy who had spoken, his shock of orange hair highlighted by the sunlight from the window.

A grin forming at the corners of his lips, Grimmjow crossed his arms over his chest, turning his full attention on the youth. Somehow he had known it would be him who would answer his question.

"And what might that be, Kurosaki?" He asked, a blue eyebrow arching.

An answering grin forming on Ichigo's lips, the teen leant back in his chair and crossed his own arms over his chest. The class remained silent, the students evidently waiting to see how long this would last before another full-blown argument would start between the two.

Ichigo considered his words.

"Taking a text and going about producing it in a different way, but still maintaining the basic meaning of the original. For example, movies based off of Romeo and Juliet. Different plays and abridged theatre productions of Shakespeare's work all over the world. Re-stating and re-teaching his work in class. Or, my personal favourite, you going out of your way to actively insult his work in colourful ways yet still keeping the original meaning of how shit the text is in-tact." He replied, his warm brown eyes glinting with mirth.

Scattered chuckles rang out from the students.

Gazing fondly at the teen, Grimmjow gave a bark of laughter, shaking his head and trailing off into continued scoffs of amusement.

"That's pretty much it, yeah. Nice one, Kurosaki." He grinned. Ichigo's smile widened, the orange haired boy laughing in turn.

Keeping his gaze locked on the teen for a moment longer, Grimmjow turned his head back to gaze at the others.

"Shakespeare is basically just one big textual intervention. If you know that his work is super famous for some god-knows-what reason and has been translated, re-interpreted and distributed via many forms of media since its original publication, then you've basically learnt Shakespeare as a whole. All ya need to know is its shit, and it's a goddamn pain in the ass to read or understand. Guy was probably off his head when he wrote that crap, too. I don't care if he's responsible for half o' the words we use in the English language today, all I care is that I'm being paid to teach you this stuff, an' that's what I'm doin'. Though perhaps probably not in a very standard way but… we'll let that slide fer now." He finished off, grinning wider.

The laughter in the classroom increased. His smile still plastered on his lips, Grimmjow chanced another quick glance at the clock before stifling a yawn as he went to stand himself up from the desk he was seated on.

"Now then. Since it's Monday and I don't wanna be here any more than you and we've been at this for almost two hours, I'm willing to let you all out early. But first – hand up your narratives."

The groans which elicited from many of the students was almost loud enough to rival the sound of the school bells. Rolling his eyes, Grimmjow shuffled the papers on his desk as he walked behind it, seating himself down on the chair.

"Let me put it this way. If you haven't finished it, you don't get outta class early. Simple as that. I told you it was due today." He called out, his tone leaving no room for argument.

The groans became louder, students already beginning to protest. Unable to hide back the grin, the teacher shook his head.

"Don't tell me none o' you got them done... it was only five hundred words, guys. I've already had one student hand theirs up to me." He continued, his grin still in place. The unanimous grumbling from the rest of the class told him all he needed to know, Grimmjow rolling his eyes once more as he leant back in his chair.

"Fine. Since yer all lazy I'll give an extension. You have until next week." He smiled, chuckling when the class's grumbles erupted into widespread cheers. Grimmjow was about to follow up by saying everyone could leave when a call from the back caught his attention.

"Oh thank  _god_!"

He blinked, looking amused as he lifted his head to see Abarai Renji almost on the verge of fainting with relief in the back row. The class turned to glance at him. The kid quickly flushed in the face when he saw he was the sudden centre of unwanted attention, trailing off into faint mumbles as he hastily glanced back down at his open notebook. Grimmjow continued to remain silent for a moment, cocking an eyebrow. He folded his arms over his chest once more.

"You tellin' me you couldn't be bothered startin' yer narrative yet, Abarai? Is that it?" He asked. Renji shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. Another faint mumble passed his lips, going unheard to anybody save himself.

Grimmjow's grin became wider.

"I see. Well then. No extension fer you. Hand up what you've got." He smirked.

Renji's eyes widened, the redhead almost falling out of his chair.

"But sir! That's not fair!" He yelled. His brown eyes were despairing, his tattooed brows creased as he pleaded with the sensei.

Grimmjow merely blinked in response.

"It's fair enough, Abarai. I understand you have other assignments to do so you can't always focus on English, but I  _don't_ accept just not attemptin' the homework task in the first place. And yes I _am_ pickin' on you because this isn't the first time I've caught you out on this. Oh – speakin' of homework – that reminds me." He spoke up, his tone louder than before. Renji lifted his gaze slowly to glance at his teacher. Grimmjow continued to smile. "Granz-sensei was talkin' to me earlier on. He wanted me to tell ya to be in his office after school finishes. You forgot to complete that last prac report.  _Again._ "

The expression on Renji's face was bordering a look of such comical hysteria that Grimmjow almost loosed a raucous fit of laughter right then and there – the redhead's mouth opening and closing in stammering motions as he stumbled over his words.

"You're working with him!" He cried out, glancing to Ichigo and pointing a finger at the teacher at the same time. Grimmjow's brow rose higher, the sensei now incredibly amused at the implication behind the youth's words. Ichigo was trying his hardest to bite back his snorts of laughter and failing to do so, the orangette snickering aloud and laughing only harder when Renji continued to splutter at him.

Seeing the need to step in lest the matter become too out of hand, and also because it looked like the redhead was on the verge of some sort of heart attack, Grimmjow cleared his throat, his cyan eyes sweeping over the row of students.

"Right, get out of here." He said shortly, his rough voice echoing over the scattered whispers of conversation which had ensued.

The sound of chairs scraping against the linoleum flooring resounded around the classroom walls, snippets of conversation growing louder as the volume increased. Briefly nodding every so often as a class member walked past, Grimmjow returned his gaze to the clock, unable to bite back the fresh snigger when Renji stomped over towards him and placed a half-written sheet of scribbles on his desk.

Trying to resist the urge to roll his eyes, the sensei watched him saunter off, the teen grumbling to himself under his breath something along the lines of going to be the result of some scientific torture among other things the English teacher really had no cares for understanding.

His eyebrow arching once more, Grimmjow released a quiet chuckle as he ran his hands through his hair, his smile growing when he imagined the look that would be on the kid's face when he discovered his Biology teacher hadn't asked to see him at all.

He may be an academic, but that didn't mean to say that he couldn't afford himself a little moment of fun every now and then.

"I almost feel sorry for him."

Grimmjow laughed, his cyan eyes flickering over to meet warm brown as Kurosaki Ichigo approached, the teen smirking at the figure of his friend as the spiky haired boy disappeared down the corridor.

"Ah well. He'll get over it. Eventually. That'll teach 'im to do his work next time, at any rate." Grimmjow shrugged, leaning forwards and making to stand up. "Though what'd he mean by you working with me?" He asked, gazing at the younger male.

Ichigo turned his head to glance up at his teacher, his lips alight with a fond smile. A sheepish shrug of his shoulders accompanied the teen rubbing the back of his neck.

"I may have mentioned to him yesterday that Kurotsuchi-sensei wanted him as an assistant in his next chemistry prac…" The teen spoke up airily.

Grimmjow's eyes widened, the taller man spluttering a little on his laughter.

"Fuck me, Ichi. That'd be enough to scare anyone shitless!" He exclaimed. Ichigo laughed, the sound pleasant and cheerful as it rang through the classroom.

Shaking his head and chuckling, Grimmjow sighed as he fished around in his diary, making to pull out the teen's narrative. Before he reached down to pull out the notebook, however, he paused, lifting his head to gaze back at the orangette. His expression was now sincere, all trace of earlier mirth replaced with a pronounced anxiety.

"Are you holdin' up ok, Ichi?" He asked, his tone now quiet, barely more than a whisper.

Ichigo sighed, nodding and giving a faint smile of his own. He could see the concern in his teacher's gaze, and he was thankful that the older man had avoided asking him directly about the weekend until the end of their class.

"Yeah. I'm good. He left straight after I did, apparently." He mumbled. Grimmjow regarded Ichigo carefully for a while longer, knowing fully well who the teen was referring to. It was some time until he spoke once more.

"I see. That's good then. I spoke to Yama-jii this mornin' about the care program fer you. He wants you to meet him after yer classes finish today." The sensei murmured quietly.

It was Ichigo's turn to fall silent, the teen fixing warm brown eyes onto cyan blue. He swallowed thickly, the man's words causing his stomach to churn uncomfortably inside of him. He nodded. Giving a pained smile of apology, Grimmjow pulled out the notebook, handing it to the orangette.

His features now forming a look of amusement, Ichigo smiled as he took his book back, flipping open to the page where he saw a grade marked out in red pen.

His eyes widened, a soft gasp falling from his lips. He blinked once, twice, trying to determine whether his eyes were playing tricks on him. Seeing that he was indeed not mistaken he lifted his head, the teenager feeling dumbfounded as he gazed into bright blue eyes, Grimmjow's grin infectious as the teacher nodded in confirmation.

"Full marks?" Ichigo breathed, still unable to register the information clearly. Grimmjow laughed.

"Damn right. I ain't gonna lie, Ichi. That was the best piece of work I've ever read. From anybody." The teacher replied, his rough voice proud and earnest.

Ichigo couldn't find it within himself to reply. Blinking yet again, the wide grin rushed onto his lips before he could stop it, his brown eyes now glinting with an almost child-like excitement as he looked at his teacher once more.

"Thank you!" He exclaimed, finding his voice again and gripping his notebook tightly to his chest. Grimmjow grinned, reaching down into his pocket and fishing around for something else. When he removed a slip of paper a moment later, his gaze was sincere as he extended it to the youth.

"An' that's not all. I got you this. There's a writer's convention in the city on the fifteenth. I want you to come with me. This will be the perfect opportunity for you to learn about becoming a professional writer." He finished, gauging the other's reaction carefully as Ichigo took the ticket with trembling fingers.

The silence was almost deafening as Ichigo's mind momentarily went blank, his eyes gazing at the piece of paper within his hands. He was overwhelmed, unable to think. The only thing his brain could register was a violent bubbling coursing through his chest, that bubbling a feeling nothing short of pure excitement.

"I... don't know what to say…"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, smiling at the orangette as he continued to gaze, stunned, at the ticket in his hands, the youth tracing his fingertips over the black and gold letters along the slip.

"You could try thankin' me. Those things weren't cheap." He grunted out.

Ichigo didn't respond to his teacher's quip. Instead, when he slowly lifted his head, his eyes echoed an expression of pain.

"I… I can't… you didn't have t—"

"—'course I did." Grimmjow interrupted, gazing with amusement at the teen. "You have some of the best writing skills of anyone I've ever seen, Kurosaki. An' you told me yerself that yer dream is to eventually become a writer. You'd be fuckin' insane if you let an opportunity like this pass ya by. I told ya I'm gonna help you in any way I can. Well this is a start, isn't it?"

As he was speaking, a slow smile was quirking at the corners of the teen's lips. By the time he had finished, that smile had grown into something which could almost rival the sun with its brightness. Ichigo's eyes were filled with emotion as he fixed his gaze back on his teacher, the expression within warm brown orbs telling Grimmjow all he needed to know.

"Grimmjow… thank you…" The teen whispered. Grimmjow shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"It's nothin', Ichi." He replied.

Ichigo chuckled, looking back at the ticket and pocketing it.

"I'm pretty sure it's everything." He responded, an orange eyebrow raising. Grimmjow barked a laugh.

"Now that's more like it." The sensei grinned, his laughter continuing to rumble through his chest. He picked up his textbooks once more, slinging them under his arm. "You're welcome." He added, his tone sincere.

The return smile still echoing on Ichigo's lips was undoubtedly one of the most satisfying things Grimmjow had ever seen in his entire life as the duo departed the classroom, walking side by side down the bustling school corridor.

"When you've spoken to the old geezer, you can come out to the teacher's parking lot if you like. I can take ya home." The sensei mentioned quietly, looking down at the student alongside him as they inched closer towards the stairs, beginning their descent and passing groups of students as they walked by them.

Ichigo lifted his head, meeting his teacher's gaze and shrugging his shoulders.

"Sure thing." He replied. Grimmjow nodded, smiling.

"When do you finish today?" He asked. Ichigo bit his lip, his brows furrowing in concentration as he mulled over today's timetable in his head.

"Two I think. My last class is Maths Studies." As he said this, his nose crinkled faintly in disgust. Grimmjow blanched, the English teacher visibly shuddering.

"That's with Aizen-sensei, innit?" He asked. Ichigo nodded. Grimmjow shuddered again.

"I really hate that guy." He muttered under his breath. Ichigo laughed.

"You and everyone else in his class." He agreed. Sniggering, the blue haired man smirked.

"Can't say I blame 'em. I feel sorry for you even more now." He mused. Ichigo snorted, shaking his head. A companionable silence fell upon the two, both males having reached the bottom landing. Grimmjow checked his watch, turning around to meet the orangette's questioning face.

"I get off at one thirty today so I'll be waiting out there for ya when you're done." He said, adjusting his books under his arms. Ichigo nodded, lifting a hand in a wave as he began walking off.

"See you then, sensei." He called out. Grimmjow scoffed, nodding and watching the boy's retreating form for a moment before chuckling once more, shaking his head and turning around, beginning his trek towards the staff room.

* * *

Groaning audibly as he turned down the corridor leading to the principal's office, Ichigo hoisted his bag over his shoulders a little more, trying to sustain the crushing weight of his maths homework.

Grumbling under his breath at his Maths teacher, Aizen-sensei having done nothing that whole lesson except sit there and expect his students to do their own work without his help, the brown haired man sitting calmly at his desk and surveying everyone with cold eyes behind those hideous black glasses, he had suddenly thrown a whole weeks' worth of textbook questions at them for homework that night. All to be completed before the next lesson on Wednesday.

The only thing that had kept the orangette sane that lesson was the promise of being taken home that afternoon by his English teacher – that and the grades he had received on his narrative and the ticket for the writer's convention tucked safely away in his pocket.

Sighing, Ichigo wearily glanced up at the plaque on the door, the words 'Yamamoto Genryuusai' staring back at him with bright gold edging. He wanted nothing more than to leave school already, but he knew that he would have to get this talk out of the way sooner or later. He only hoped that the old man wouldn't give him too much trouble – Yamamoto-sensei was a fair teacher and principal by all regards, yet his methods were strict and very much old-fashioned. There was a rumour going around that he even still implemented the cane on occasion when students received detention with him.

Trying not to let his mind settle on that unpleasant notion, the mere thought of it too horrifyingly similar to the torment he had to endure with his father, the orangette was about to knock on the door when he was stopped by someone calling out his name.

"Ichigo-kun?"

Blinking, Ichigo turned his head to find the Biology teacher approaching him from the hallway, Granz-sensei smiling warmly at him as he regarded the youth behind his white-rimmed glasses.

Ichigo returned the smile, turning to face the pink haired man as he stepped closer.

"Hi, Granz-sensei. What's up?" He greeted. The teacher shrugged his shoulders, brushing some hair away from his eyes as he leant against the wall.

"Oh nothing much. I was actually looking for you." He replied, his voice pleasant. Ichigo frowned slightly in confusion.

"For me?" He echoed. The teacher nodded. His expression suddenly became serious, his amber eyes containing a wary look.

"Why is Abarai ranting that you and Jaegerjaquez-sensei, and I quote-unquote, 'teamed up on him to score him a double detention with Kurotsuchi and myself because he shirked off on his schoolwork again'?"

Ichigo couldn't help himself. He let out a loud laugh, quickly apologising when he caught the look on the sensei's face. He reigned in his sniggers, shaking his head and chuckling.

"It was… a situation which kind of went out of control." He explained, finally calming himself down. Granz-sensei's lips pulled into a wider smile.

"I see. Care to explain?" He grinned. Ichigo laughed again.

"He was complaining about last week. We kind of tormented him a little bit about it to help him get his ass into gear and actually do his schoolwork." He finished. Granz-sensei laughed as he shook his head.

"Honestly I don't see why I'm giving him detentions. You and Jaegerjaquez have his punishment all sorted out for me." He chuckled, his tone teasing. Ichigo grinned.

"Sorry about that." The teen apologised. The teacher waved it off, his eyes glinting with mirth behind his glasses.

"No, don't be. It's fine. It's actually quite amusing, to tell you the truth. I knew he was gullible but the fact that he came to see me in detention about his unfinished work even though he'd already completed the last assignment was too good for me to pass up. I'll keep him working in there with the lab equipment until he realises that he actually has no need to be in there at all. Though… with how his brain works, I think he'll be there for a while…" He finished, smirking.

Ichigo sniggered, laughing even harder. Still chuckling, the pink haired man waved, turning around and making to head off.

"I'll leave you to it. Thanks for informing me, Ichigo-kun. Enjoy the rest of your day." He called out, smiling. Ichigo nodded, grinning and returning the wave.

"You too!" He replied. He continued to smile as he watched the slender man walk away, his strides fluid and graceful as he disappeared back down the corridor. Sighing heavily as he refocused his gaze on the door plaque, Ichigo swallowed thickly, his stomach beginning to churn nervously inside of him.

Clearing his throat and lifting a hand to knock quickly on the door, he winced when the harsh "enter" sounded from within, the principal's voice grating and imperious.

Steeling himself and taking a deep breath, holding it for a moment to help calm his pounding heart, Ichigo willed his mind to think of the writer's convention, his grades, seeing his teacher again after school,  _anything_ , to help his brain find some form of reprieve from the meeting which was about to follow.

Tentatively stepping through into the principal's office, the bookcases lining the walls filled with dusty tomes and filters of afternoon sunlight falling against the dusty mahogany desk, warm brown eyes met the wizened crinkles of the principal's; Yamamoto-sensei's bushy eyebrows bristling as he slowly lifted his head.

Grunting in acknowledgement of the youth, the principal indicated the empty chair in front of him. Ichigo walked forwards, swallowing thickly once more and seating himself down, slinging his bag off of his shoulders and settling it on the floor next to him. He wrung his hands nervously together underneath the desk, his knuckles turning white against his skin.

Yamamoto gazed at him for what seemed a long time, his eyes cracked open, the wrinkles around the baggy skin appearing to protest the movement. Presently, he laced his fingers together over the desk, leaning forwards in his chair.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," he began, his voice wispy, "you are aware of why you are here, yes? Under Jaegerjaquez-sensei's concerns?"

Ichigo nodded, forcing himself to maintain eye contact.

"Yes sir." He replied quietly. The principal nodded in turn, a grunt escaping his lips.

"Good. Now then. It has come to my attention that there have been issues at home which may have led to possible cases of what can be considered domestic abuse. I want you to sit here and tell me everything. Do not leave out a single detail. This is your future and wellbeing at risk. You may begin."

Taking a shaking breath, Ichigo closed his eyes for a moment, his hands clenching tightly over his knees. Nodding once more, he swallowed again, slowly reopening his eyes and his tone wavering as he launched into his story.

 


	7. Presentation, Programs and Pleasure

To say that his day had been eventful was very much an understatement, the questioning and outright dumbfounded expressions on student's faces quite well being the icing on his metaphorical cake as they observed Ichigo seating himself inside Grimmjow's car, the English sensei driving off and exiting the school grounds some few minutes later.

That, combined with everything else which had happened earlier that morning would have been enough to warrant an amused laugh from the orangette's lips, however his mind was in far too serious a place for him to permit himself any chance at light-heartedness. Instead he settled on gazing blankly out of the car windows as the vehicle rumbled along the road, Ichigo blinking mindlessly at the streets and buildings, trees and walkways which passed them by as if without a care in the world.

Glancing at the orange haired teen, Grimmjow's cyan eyes echoed a concerned air, the teacher's hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. Ichigo had been silent ever since he had left school, and the teacher knew that whatever had been said in the principal's office had shaken the youth up. So much so that he had not said a word to him at all for the past half an hour.

It made his stomach churn and his skin crawl, his gut feeling tight with worry. Taking a slow breath Grimmjow decided to speak up, trying to glean from the teen just what had happened to make him act this way.

"Ichi? What's wrong?" He asked quietly, his rough edged voice sounding unusually soft.

Ichigo stirred, his teacher's voice cutting through his thoughts and making him turn his head to gaze at the expression of anxiety etched onto that normally irate face. Giving an apologetic smile, the teen shook his head.

"No… it's nothing." He mumbled. Grimmjow didn't remove his gaze.

"Clearly not." He noted, a blue eyebrow raising. It was Ichigo's turn to sigh, the boy giving a tired chuckle. He shook his head, staring back out of the window once more.

"He said he'd call up services to see what they can do about my dad. He can't transfer me, Yuzu or Karin into a separate home until that's sorted out. He doesn't know how long it will take. I dunno, Grimmjow… have you ever had the feeling that… what you're doing is right… you  _know_ it's right… but you keep having second thoughts? Like you're afraid it's going to come back and bite you on the ass in the near future?"

Grimmjow considered the youth's whispered words, the tanned male turning his blue eyed gaze back onto the road. He nodded.

"Yeah. All the fuckin' time." He murmured. He received a strained laugh in response. Giving a brief chuckle of his own, the sensei turned his head back to Ichigo again. "But this  _is_ the right thing to do, Ichi. It ain't gonna come back around and hit ya, I'll make sure of that." He continued, his voice earnest. A faint smile formed on the teen's lips.

"I know. Thank you again." He spoke quietly, his voice barely audible as he fixed warm brown eyes on his teacher once more. Grimmjow grinned slightly, turning his hands on the wheel and manoeuvring the car down the side street, on direct course towards the teen's house.

"Try not to worry about it, ok? If there's anythin' you need to talk about, that's why I'm here. You have my number and everything. Never hesitate to call me, Ichi. Besides, we have that convention next month. Should be good. I'll pick you up in the morning on the day so we can get there by ten-fifteen, which is when it starts. It's an all-day thing, so we can probably go get some cheap food after or somethin' if we're hungry." The teacher continued, his tone becoming cheerful as he gave a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

Ichigo laughed, his lips quirking into a smile.

"What is it with you and cheap food?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as he gazed at his teacher's muscled and well-built form. He was grateful in the conversation change, but he was amused to find that a guy who appeared to live off of junk food could be in such good physical shape.

Grimmjow scoffed, his mouth pulling into a wide grin.

"Ichi, there's a couple of things you need to know about adult life. Firstly, never, and I repeat  _never_ , pass up the opportunity to get food while it's cheap. Secondly, junk food usually tastes good. And the golden rule Kurosaki, is that if it tastes good it must be good for you." The blue haired man replied, smiling smugly.

Ichigo snorted a laugh.

"What? Ok, so I know that's pretty childish, but it's true! Well… ok… maybe not. I may have neglected to mention that it's also important to go out for physical exercise, but that usually puts people off." Grimmjow continued, his expression sheepish.

Ichigo laughed louder, his eyes holding an amused air as he raked his gaze over the wild looking man next to him once more.

"Is that why you're so fit?" He asked. Grimmjow's smile was back to its previous smug grin. The cyan eyed man nodded, his expression now proud.

"'Course it is. I go out and play basketball regularly with a couple o' mates." He shrugged. His gaze became thoughtful for a moment. Presently he looked back at the teen, a smile on his lips. "You should come along one time."

Ichigo regarded the blue haired man next to him carefully for a moment, an amused grin still on his mouth. He nodded.

"Sure. Sounds fun." He shrugged. Grimmjow smiled to himself, turning his attention back to the road. The car rumbled up to the driveway of the Kurosaki Clinic some ten minutes later, the engine purring through the neighbourhood as the vehicle stalled.

Gazing momentarily at the unassuming building nestled amongst the tidy lining of shrubs, Grimmjow looked back at Ichigo, the teen also gazing at his house. He was chewing his lip slightly in silent contemplation.

Feeling the other man's eyes on him once more, the orangette blinked, lifting brown eyes to meet cyan blue.

"Do you reckon you're gonna be lucky enough to avoid your father for this week?" The sensei asked quietly. Ichigo sighed.

"Yeah. Hopefully." He muttered. Grimmjow nodded.

"Alright then. Just remember, call me if anything goes wrong. I'll see you tomorrow." He answered, his voice equally quiet. Ichigo smiled once more, reaching out to the door handle and unlocking it, swinging his lean form out of the seat and stepping onto the driveway seconds later.

"Thanks Grimmjow." He called out, grabbing his schoolbag from the backseat and walking towards the front door, waving at the teacher as he did so. Grimmjow returned the wave, his lips forming their usual grin as he reversed out of the driveway, leaving Ichigo to fondly regard his teacher as he drove off.

Seconds later saw Ichigo entering his house and laughing as he was assaulted by the welcoming hugs of his sisters, all momentary thoughts of anxiety, guilt and regret completely forgotten.

* * *

"Friday. Best fucking day of the week if you ask me." His voice echoing loudly throughout the staff room, Karakura High's PE teacher, Muguruma Kensei, let out a relieved huff of a sigh as he roughly sat himself down on the lounge.

"Kids been giving you hell again have they, Kensei?" Ise Nanao, the office administrator, asked coolly as she regarded the muscled man carefully over her glasses, the black haired woman adjusting the rims over the bridge of her sharp nose.

Kensei grunted in acknowledgement of the scholarly-looking woman as she seated herself down opposite him on the couch, crossing her legs one over the other as she pulled out a book which up until now had been situated under her arm.

"You can say that. Goddamn those kids. What's the point of taking PE as a subject if no one's willing to get out there and get some dirt on 'em? A bunch of wimps, the lot of them." The grey haired man snorted, absentmindedly fingering the piercings on his left ear.

Nanao did not reply, instead casting the loud mouthed man a look of disdain as she flickered her gaze up from her book. The drone of voices from the hallway became louder as the remaining staff members filed in, the school week now over as the trilling ring of bells sounded over the intercom.

"Yo, Kensei! S'up?" Hirako called out, the blond waving to his friend. Kensei greeted the Music teacher, the two lapsing into raucous conversation. Loud arguments sprung up, the science teachers following behind.

"Don't talk to me about your so-called 'logic'. You know nothing of your job. I'm surprised Yamamoto-sensei hasn't given you the sack yet." A callous, sneering tone rang out, the school's Chemistry teacher engaged in heated argument with the Physics teacher, Urahara Kisuke.

The shaggy blond haired man laughed jovially, patting Mayuri on the shoulder and looking the yellow eyed-man directly in the face.

"I'm sorry, Kurotsuchi-san. I seem to recall students  _not_  cowering in fear before me in my classes. Perhaps that's why?" He smiled, his tone airy and his grin mischievous. Mayuri's teeth visibly grit together, the sound of their clenching quite audible.

"You scum… if you think I'll let you get away with tha—"

"Granz-san! Just the person I wanted to see! How does a fellow academic of the science department wager the importance of Chemistry over Physics?" Urahara interjected, waving at the pink haired man as he entered seconds later, walking alongside Grimmjow.

Szayel blinked, the Biology teacher becoming pulled out of his conversation with the blue haired man upon hearing his name. He glanced from Mayuri to Urahara, a smirk pulling at pale lips as he brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes.

"Biology uses plenty of Chemistry, at least in my classes. I think the need for another in the Chemistry department is largely redundant." He replied cheerfully. Urahara grinned, Mayuri on the other hand clenching his fists together.

"This is unforgivable! I don't have to listen to you – your conception of 'science' being nothing but a joke to those of th—"

"—Oi, calm down a bit yeah?" Grimmjow interrupted, placing a hand on Szayel's arm and preventing the man from stepping forth, the pink haired male's expression now outraged.

Szayel narrowed his eyes, a faint stream of cusses parting his lips. Grimmjow removed his hand and looked back at Urahara and Mayuri.

"And what would an English teacher have to contribute to a conversation which is out of his league, hmm?" Mayuri sneered, his expression agitated. Grimmjow raised an eyebrow.

"Simple. I agree with Urahara and Granz. Why?" He quickly added, cutting once more over Mayuri's attempted outburst. "Because I don't like ya." He finished, flashing the Chemistry teacher a smug grin as he made his way over to the staff lounge.

Mayuri spluttered, the man's eyes bulging in anger. The remaining science teachers looked pleased, sharing a glance and walking past the stuttering navy blue haired man.

"Yo, Jaegerjaquez! How's your classes goin'?" Kensei called out from the lounge, noticing the English sensei approaching. Grimmjow nodded his head in acknowledgement of the PE teacher, the cyan eyed man seating himself down on the couch.

"Yeah not too bad. Another week finally out of the way." He sighed, stretching his arms over his head and grunting in appreciation when his back popped.

That was an understatement – in reality, Grimmjow couldn't wait to get out of here already. Grumbling internally at the teacher's meeting everyone was called in to attend that afternoon, he heaved another sigh. All he wanted was to go home. He had far too many things to look forward to. It had already pissed him off to no end that he couldn't take Ichigo home that afternoon, the sensei having done so for the past week since Monday afternoon. He had been engaged in his farewells with the orange haired kid when Szayel had approached, the three talking for a minute before the two teachers had to leave.

Wondering to himself if he could somehow manage to wing it out of that evening's teacher's meeting, Grimmjow was lost to his own thoughts momentarily until yet more talking dragged him out of his reverie.

"I see. Hey, I hear there's a writer's convention next month. You going to that?"

Grimmjow blinked, looking at Kensei and nodding.

"'Course I am, Kensei. Wouldn't be much of an English teacher if I wasn't." He grinned. Kensei laughed, raising his cup of coffee to his lips.

"Did ya manage to get everythin' sorted out with Kurosaki?" Hirako asked, looking at his friend. Grimmjow nodded again, leaning back against the couch and running his hands through his hair.

"Yeah I did. We just have to wait until Yama-jii actually gets off his fuckin' ass and takes an interest in helpin' the kid." He sighed. A thoughtful look appeared in the Music teacher's eyes.

"What was wrong with him?" He inquired. Grimmjow paused for a moment, gauging how much to tell the other man. He and Hirako were good friends, but unfortunately the airy blond had a habit of being quite a gossiper.

"Just some issues at home." He said shortly, not caring to elaborate. He hoped the blond would leave it at that. Mercifully, he did.

He breezed off once more into conversation with Kensei, leaving Grimmjow to smile inwardly at this reprieve from having to explain anything else for the day. The sensei drummed his fingertips against the coffee table, impatiently checking his watch.

Never before had he wished that one hour would fly by as much as he did then.

_Keep it together, Jaegerjaquez_ , he thought to himself.  _  
_

He only hoped that this time it wouldn't be easier said than done when Yamamoto Genryuusai entered the staff room moments later, the teacher's meeting commencing.

* * *

"Whadda ya mean you can't hang out with us today?"

"I mean what I mean, Renji. I'm going out this morning." Ichigo rolled his eyes, wondering when his friend would finally begin taking no for an answer. He heard the redhead huff on the other line.

"We haven't had a proper chance to catch up since last month. They have this new movie on right now - I think it's something you'd really enjoy! It's call—"

"Renji, I said I'm busy. Maybe next weekend?" Ichigo sighed. Renji gave an audible groan.

"Aw c'mon man!" He whined. Ichigo rolled his eyes again.

"Look I have to go alright? I'll talk to you later on." The orangette replied, quickly ending his call before Renji could find time to reply. The line went dead and the teen placed his phone back in his jeans pocket, chuckling quietly at his friend's antics. Granted he hadn't told him about today's convention, but considering Renji's over-the-top reaction to basically everything, he didn't regret not letting the redhead in on that particular highlight of his life.

Gazing at the ruffled strands of orange locks matted to his forehead, warm brown eyes were narrowed in concentration as a hand reached up and combed through the mass of hair. Rolling his eyes when the strands continued to spike up in an unruly fashion no matter what, Ichigo gave a faint sigh and chuckled again as he shook his head, returning his eyes to his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

For someone who had spent the past ten minutes getting ready, throwing on a pair of black jeans and a respectable grey long sleeved shirt with a black vest unbuttoned on top of that, Ichigo had to admit that he didn't look too shabby for an eighteen year old about to go out to town.

The hair was still an issue and was mildly bothering him, but giving a noncommittal shrug of his shoulders as if to voice his thought he let it slide. Besides, it wasn't like his teacher was any better.

Smoothing out his shirt and smiling, he turned around and switched off the light, the orangette walking back into his room across the hall. Locating his converse sneakers Ichigo sat himself on his bed and leant down, tying the laces as he slipped his feet into his shoes.

As he straightened himself, giving a few experimental taps of his feet against the floor to make sure his shoes were fastened properly, a wave of excitement washed over him as he stood up. Taking a deep breath Ichigo cast an approving glance over his piles of completed homework, the teen having rushed to get through them all last night so as to free himself up for the weekend.

The last month of school had gone past in a dizzying blur, the orangette caught between lesson after lesson and not really paying any attention to the life around him as his mind was focused on one thing, and one thing only. The writer's convention today, and his teacher. He was so excited in fact that he had woken up this morning a full two hours before his alarm was due to go off.

Turning to eye the clock on the wall, it took all of his control to keep himself from letting out an excited gasp when he noted the time. It was 9:45am.

_He'll be here in fifteen minutes._

He had been catching rides in Grimmjow's car for almost every day the past month when he had finished his lessons at school, and Ichigo knew that the blue haired English teacher was surprisingly punctual, despite what his demeanour would say otherwise about him.

Running over the plan he had devised for himself in his head in terms of study material, Ichigo fished around in his pockets to locate the small notebook he would be taking with him. Smiling when he pulled it out, he slid a pen inside the front cover and stuffed the book back.

Sweeping one final glance over his room to ensure everything was in place, he exited and closed the door behind him. Guiding his way down the stairs he met Yuzu below, who had just left the kitchen and was about to walk into the living room. She smiled widely when she saw her brother approach.

"Onii-chan, have you got everything for today?" She asked, her sweet voice lilting in his ears. Ichigo grinned, reaching down to embrace his little sister tightly to him. He nodded, bending slightly to kiss her on the forehead.

"I sure do, Yuzu. You and Karin going to be ok? I won't be out for too long. I'll see if he can drop me back off before dinner." He spoke up. Yuzu smiled, nodding.

"We'll be fine, onii-chan. We have everything all set. Enjoy yourself!" She chirped happily. Ichigo grinned, hugging her tightly once more and rubbing her back.

"Tell Karin I said goodbye to her too when she gets back from soccer." He added, slowly pulling away and taking the small package of food Yuzu handed to him when they walked into the kitchen. Yuzu nodded again.

"Will do, onii-chan." She was about to continue when a faint rumbling noise sounded from outside, followed by what was a distinct sound of a car door shutting. Moments later a knock was heard against the front door.

Barely able to hold back his excitement any longer, Ichigo flashed another grin at his sister as he jogged towards the hallway. He took a deep breath, holding it for a couple of seconds to try and calm himself before reaching out a shaking hand and pulling on the doorhandle.

His grin widened when he was met with cyan blue eyes, Grimmjow flashing a return grin at the orangette from where he was casually leaning against the porch. His hair was looking just as unruly as Ichigo's, the English teacher dressed in form fitting denim jeans and a hooded jumper. If Ichigo was only meeting the man for the first time, he would have been convinced he was looking at an ordinary college student.

Raising an eyebrow, Ichigo's smile became pointed as he gazed at his sensei. Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"What? If you think I'm goin' there all dressed up in some sorta formal monkey suit like they do in corporal meetings, you are sadly fuckin' mistaken, Kurosaki." He teased. Ichigo laughed.

"I wasn't going to say anything, Grimmjow." He replied. Grimmjow snorted, his gaze turning to face behind the orange haired teen. Ichigo turned around as well, smiling when Yuzu approached, the girl waving shyly.

"You must be Yuzu, right?" The teacher smiled back. Yuzu nodded, bowing quickly.

"Thank you for helping onii-chan. Karin and I are really grateful, and so is onii-chan. Karin's not here right now, but we hope that you both have fun today." She spoke hastily, bowing once more.

Grimmjow's eyes softened, the teacher straightening himself up. Ichigo's brown eyes swirled with emotion as he looked at his sister, Yuzu blushing furiously as she talked.

"Don't worry about it, Yuzu. I'm happy to help all of you. You take care of yerself, ok? You an' yer sister. I'll have him back later on this afternoon." Grimmjow replied. Yuzu nodded, smiling brightly as she waved at the two, skipping away from the front hall.

The teacher chuckled, Ichigo beaming at his sister as she spared them both one final glance and a wave. Presently the orangette turned back to his sensei.

"She's a cute kid." Grimmjow spoke up conversationally as he stepped back, Ichigo walking out of the house and shutting the door behind him. Ichigo nodded, still grinning.

"Yeah." He agreed. Grimmjow regarded him carefully.

"Ya got everythin'?" He asked. Ichigo nodded once more, falling into step beside his sensei as they walked towards his car parked in the driveway.

"Yep. I have a notebook and everything with me, just in case." The teen replied. Grimmjow smiled, opening up the door and sliding himself into the driver's seat, Ichigo doing likewise as he sat himself down in the passenger side.

"Good. They have one o' the top lecturers from the state giving the presentation today, so it shouldn't be a  _complete_ waste of time." The sensei grinned, his eyes flashing mischievously. Ichigo snorted a laugh, pulling down his seatbelt and clipping it in place.

"Isn't everything a complete waste of time with you though?" Ichigo asked innocently. Grimmjow barked a laugh, turning the keys in the ignition and the car purring to life in response, its rumble echoing in the driveway as he reversed.

"Ehhh probably." He shrugged, grinning and flashing his white teeth as he put the car in gear, beginning the drive down the street. "By the way, yer lookin' good today Kurosaki." He added, smiling at the orangette.

Ichigo grinned, chuckling as he turned to gaze out the window.

"Thanks. You too, sensei. You finally succeeded in looking thirty times younger than what you actually are." He spoke up cheerfully. Grimmjow sniggered.

"I'll have you know I'm twenty eight, you cheeky bastard. That's still pretty young." He said, his tone defensive. "I don't wanna look like I'm a hundred years old. Which, incidentally, is how old you'll look if you wear one o' those fuckin' monkey suits. So never wear 'em. Plus formal wear is just uncomfortable as shit." He finished with a grimace.

Ichigo almost had to clap his hands to his mouth to keep his laughter at bay. Wiping his eyes of the pending tears, he flashed a wide smile at the blue haired man.

"You're really something else, you know that?" He mused. "I'm trying to imagine you in formal wear now."

Grimmjow let out an audible groan.

"Don't even go there." He grumbled. Grinning at the teen's laughter they continued on, the ride pleasant. It seemed only five minutes later when they arrived at the convention, the building's car park rife with cars searching for available spots. A crowd had assembled at the large double doors, officials standing by and keeping the patrons at bay until it was time to open.

Eventually finding a free park amongst the confusion of vehicles darting back and forth, teacher and student stepped out, walking up towards the front entrance as the doors opened to admit them.

* * *

The first thing Ichigo noticed as they sidled their way down the rows of seats, finding their place and settling themselves into the red cushiony depths of the pull-out lecture chairs, was the almost chilling air of the surrounding hall.

As was the norm for many entertainment centres, the air conditioning systems were set up way too high, many guests already huddling to try and retain some semblance of warmth. The second thing that the orangette noticed, glancing over the assembling heads of patrons as they continued to stand and sit, call out and wave to friends and family, was the sheer size of the hall they found themselves in.

Karakura Town had a spacious entertainment and arts centre which is where they were now, its dome-like roof rising high and visible from the city centre itself. And this particular hall they were in could seat up to one thousand audience members all at once.

Today however, the hallway was home to approximately half of that total number, serving to give the theatre a heightened sense of largeness. His warm brown eyes gazing over the red velvet curtains lining the front stage, a black lectern stationed in front and the spotlight overhead highlighting the piece of furniture for all to see, Ichigo was having an even harder time trying to keep his excitement in check.

It felt like his heart was about to give out with how fast it was beating in anticipation. Beside him Grimmjow grinned, watching Ichigo's reactions with a fond air as he too gazed over the assemblage below. Checking his watch he noted that the presentation was due to start in little less than a minute.

"Who's going to be presenting today?"

The sensei blinked, turning his head to look back at Ichigo who had spoken up. Grimmjow leant back further in his chair.

"Professor Outoribashi Roujuurou. He's a Music and Literature professor at one of the top universities in Japan. He's pretty damn talented when it comes to writing." He replied, Grimmjow rubbing the back of his neck and his gaze becoming thoughtful.

Ichigo nodded, seating himself back further as well. The smile seemed to be permanently plastered on his lips as he eagerly counted down the seconds on the large digital clock on the projector screens which had lowered down along either side of the lectern.

The moment the digits flashed 10:15, a raucous cheer emanated from the crowd, the velvet curtains lifting slowly to reveal the figure of a man who appeared to be in his mid-forties, his long wavy blond hair cascading down his back as he smiled. His facial features were almost eagle-like with their sharpness as he surveyed the crowd.

Bowing slightly, his tall slender form graceful as he straightened up and walked towards the lectern, Ichigo observed the black-clad male as he tapped his fingers to the side of the microphone, smiling when he checked that everything was working.

Ichigo was under the impression that the man could have been a musician, and as the man's lilting and clear voice rang out, he had no doubts that he was a very skilled academic - one who was undoubtedly born to be a professor of the creative arts. The man positively breathed a sense of poetry, his voice enunciating his words with sharp precision.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen, it's nice to be standing before you this fine day. How are you all? I hope you're seated comfortably as for the next two hours, I shall be taking you on a journey through the mind of literature. Language is a powerful tool, an essence of beauty, and by the end of this lecture it is my goal to ensure that you all leave this theatre enlightened of the mysteries you may not have known of our wonderful English narrative." His voice rolled musically, immediately enrapturing the crowd as many members already proceeded to take out their notebooks and pens.

Ichigo was one such audience member, his hand quickly working across the page, scribbling out the date and title. Grimmjow watched, the grin still on his lips as he did so.

"He's a bit of an eccentric this guy, but he certainly knows his stuff." He muttered quietly so that no one else would hear. Ichigo laughed, nodding and turning his gaze back to the professor.

Outoribashi-sensei had continued, his hands sweeping out in a gesturing motion as his voice rolled through the air once more, filling the audience's ears with its volume.

"We begin now, dear ladies and gentlemen - with the world of creation. Such creation being fiction! Ideas, imagery, unique imaginative thought! If you will glance up at the screen behind me you will see the main steps involved in giving life to such ideas! First, we need  _character_. We need to give our story a  _soul_. Who will this masterpiece be about? What is their life story? How do they change,  _manipulate_ , the material world around them?"  _  
_

With that the man launched into his lecture, the seconds melding effortlessly into minutes just as effortlessly as techniques and stories passed from the teacher's lips.

And through it all, Ichigo felt himself become swept away on a journey of literary enlightenment - just as Outoribashi-sensei said he would.

* * *

Ichigo was so enthralled in the speech that he hadn't even noticed the lecture was over until someone tugging on his arm made him blink and turn around, Grimmjow raising a blue eyebrow and eyeing the teen with amusement.

"What?" The orangette blinked. Grimmjow's brow rose higher.

"It's finished, Ichi." He smiled, his tone just as amused as his expression. Blinking again, Ichigo looked around and felt his eyes widening when he noticed that that was indeed the case; Outoribashi-sensei having stepped down from the podium and shuffling his notes, the microphone turned off.

Members of the audience had erupted into loud conversations, the drone of voices blocking out the ability to think to one's self as the noisome crowd filed from their seats. Some were heading down to speak with the presenter, though the majority were leaving for the main exit.

Ichigo looked down at his work, the last seven pages of his notebook filled up with the notes that he had taken during the course of those two hours. He heard a slight yawn and a shift on the chair next to him, and the teen lifted his head to observe Grimmjow stretching his arms above his head and already standing from his chair.

"You comin'?" He asked, looking down at Ichigo. Ichigo regained control of himself, the teen nodding as he also stood from his seat, following his teacher out of the aisle.

"Well, how'd you like it? I don't think I've ever seen you so focused on something before." The blue haired man spoke up, his tone impressed. Ichigo grinned widely.

"I loved it! He was so thorough… I feel like I've completely relearnt how to write all over from the very beginning again!" The youth replied, his voice excited. Grimmjow chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets as they edged past a group of people who had congregated at the edge of a row of seats.

"He has that effect on people, that's fer sure. In fact, he was another reason why I decided to take up writing." The cyan eyed male mused. Ichigo looked up at him, surprised.

"Really?" He breathed. Grimmjow nodded.

"We'd use his work for references back in college durin' my English degree. I fell in love with the way he uses that descriptive flair of his to just bring words to life. I'm still envious to tell ya the truth." He smiled. Ichigo's grin softened.

"That's funny." He murmured quietly.

"What is?"

"He's one of the reasons you took up writing… and you're one of the many reasons why I did the same thing." The teen replied. Grimmjow laughed.

"What comes around goes around I s'pose." He shrugged. Suddenly, his blue eyes lit up. His grin widening, he reached out and wrapped his arm around Ichigo's wrist, drawing the youth back from where the orangette was about to continue on.

"Grimmjow?" Ichigo asked, confused. Grimmjow looked down at him.

"Go over there an' talk to 'im." He suggested. Ichigo's mouth opened, moving in stuttering motions as he evidently tried to form the right words to speak. Eventually settling on some, his lips moved again.

"R-right now?" He asked, his voice trembling. Grimmjow rolled his eyes and let go of the teen's arm, nudging the orange haired youth down towards the direction of the podium.

"This is your future here, Ichi. Not mine." He chuckled. Ichigo rolled his eyes, his brown eyes alight with amusement as he turned his back and walked down towards the teacher, Outoribashi-sensei saying farewell to the two people he had just been engaged in conversation with. He lifted his head when Ichigo approached, the teen's voice stammering slightly again.

"O-Outoribashi-sensei?" He called out.

"Ah, hello there! Did you have any questions about the lecture?" The blond asked, his tone cheerful. Ichigo grinned, gripping his notebook tightly.

"I did, sir. I really loved your presentation! I have so many things I want to ask you! Um... where should I start? Uh... well firstly I wanted to go back over your pointers you had for writing narrative… uh… hang on a sec, let me find the page…"

Grimmjow had to bite back a laugh, the blue haired man's eyes glinting with fond amusement as he watched. His hands still in his pockets, he observed the two interact for a moment. Checking his watch he noted the time was almost 2pm.

_There's still plenty of time left until he has to go back home._

Internally shrugging he walked up to the two, thinking that he might as well take his own advice and talk to the man who had inspired him all those years ago.

* * *

"That was officially the best day ever!"

Grimmjow grinned widely, Ichigo's excited exclamation ringing happily in his ears as the car rumbled into the driveway of the Kurosaki Clinic.

"I actually have to agree with ya, Ichi. See? I come up with some good ideas sometimes." The blue haired man replied, smiling smugly. Ichigo chuckled.

"I never said you didn't." He pointed out. Grimmjow shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever." He waved it off. Ichigo smiled, undoing his seatbelt and opening the passenger door. Before he swung his legs out, he turned to gaze back at his teacher, his warm brown eyes sincere on his boyish handsome features.

"I really do mean it, Grimmjow. Thank you." He murmured. Grimmjow regarded the teen carefully for a while, a sense of self-satisfaction surging through his chest at the expression on Ichigo's face.

"Yer welcome, Ichi. Think of it as a present or somethin' for the last month. Yer work is always top quality in class an' yer my best student. I'm sorry we couldn't stay there longer. I could have taken you out to a movie or somethin' but your sisters are probably worried shitless right now about you." He replied. Ichigo grinned, already straightening himself as he slid out of the passenger seat.

"Thanks Grimm."

"Enjoy the rest of yer day, Ichi. I'll see ya on Monday." Grimmjow called out, chuckling and waving his hand. Ichigo's smile widened, the teen nodding.

"You too." He responded, the curtain by the front window rustling as a head of mousey brown hair disappeared from view. Ichigo laughed; Yuzu had been waiting for him.

Raising his hand in a wave of his own, Ichigo watched as the car and his teacher left, the purr of the vehicle echoing loudly through the neighbourhood. Vaguely wondering in the back of his head how much longer it would be until the neighbours started complaining of the almost-daily racket that car would make, he turned around, still gripping his notebook in his hands.

Outoribashi-sensei had been gracious enough to handwrite some extra pointers in his work, a faint blush coming to Ichigo's cheeks as he thought over the praise he had been given from his teacher in front of the blond lecturer. His heart pumping quickly in excitement, the adrenalin still not quite finished coursing through his veins, Ichigo's grin widened when the front door flew open, Yuzu racing out seconds later towards him.

Ichigo's smile soon faded though when he saw that Yuzu's brown eyes were wide with fear, faint glimmers of tears seen wetting her cheeks. Sucking in a sharp breath Ichigo dropped to his knees and hastily wrapped his arms tightly around his sister, his stomach quickly dropping away from inside of him.

"Yuzu, what happened?!" He asked, his tone urgent. His voice was trembling. Yuzu sniffed, faint whimpers escaping her lips as she held her brother with an almost vice-like grip. She lifted her head, her eyes reddened.

"D-dad's home…" She managed in between her sobs.

And just like that, Ichigo felt himself spiral down.

His eyes narrowing hardly he tightened his hold on his sister, picking her up as his teeth clenched almost painfully together. He slowly made his way to the front door.

"Has he done anything to you or Karin?" He asked, his voice low. His tone was surprisingly steady despite the swelling anger now coursing through his chest. Yuzu shook her head, burying her face against her brother's shoulder.

"No… h-he was looking for you, onii-chan…" She stammered.

Ichigo fell silent, his gut rolling. He entered the house, the stench of alcohol and something else he didn't want to think about reaching his nose. He shut the door quietly behind him. His steps were slow as he made his way down the front hallway, knowing where his father would be waiting for him.

He didn't need to follow the rancid scent of booze to find where he was. Isshin would be where he would always be waiting. In the lounge room. With another bottle in his hand, even as he was busy chugging his way through the first one.

And as Ichigo turned the corner, today was no exception.

Baggy red blood-shot eyes lifted, the man's bleary and unfocused gaze finding Ichigo's form as his son entered. Amber droplets of whiskey dripped down the man's unshaven chin, Isshin wiping his lips on the back of his hand and spilling even more drops of alcohol over his clothes as he lowered the bottle down on the table, slamming it onto the coaster and wetting the carpet in its wake.

He tried to stand, the greying man shaking on his trembling legs. He stumbled and fell back. The scene would have been comical if only he wasn't completely off his head. Ichigo's expression was emotionless, the teen holding Yuzu to him closely.

"Boy." Isshin spat out, his voice slurred almost beyond complete comprehension. "Where were you?"

"Out." Ichigo replied, his tone short. A moment of silence went by, Isshin evidently trying to comprehend the meaning behind the word in his excessively intoxicated state.

An odd sound passed his lips, something which could have resembled a laugh.

"With who?" Came the gruff inquiry.

"A friend." Ichigo answered, his tone still short.

"An' you… couldn't 'ave… left it till later? You knew I'd be comin' over today." Isshin snarled, the words almost stringed together. Ichigo slowly let Yuzu down, the little girl quickly rushing off upstairs to her room. Ichigo watched her for a moment before fixing hardened brown eyes on blood-shot red.

"I don't have time for this." He muttered, turning his back and making to leave. "You can show yourself out. If you can still stand."

An enraged garbled sound flew from whiskey-soaked lips.

"BOY! DUN' TURN YER BACK ON ME!"

Ichigo didn't reply, his father's harsh yell ringing violently in his ears. His hands clenched tightly by his sides, his steps fluid as he trekked towards the stairway. A sudden clammy grip around his wrist made his eyes widen, a gasp escaping his throat and the next minute light exploded across his eyes, a sharp pain tingling through his entire body. Intense agony shot straight down to Ichigo's limbs as a heavy blow was landed on his head, Isshin swinging his fist around and catching his son directly in the forehead.

Groaning loudly Ichigo stumbled, his teeth gritting so tightly together he almost drew blood as he bit his lip. Clamping his hand to his head, he blinked furiously, trying to clear his vision of its blurriness as he waited for the white-hot pain to subside. Panting faintly, he threw an incensed glare towards his father, his body alight with rage.

Isshin had stumbled and let out another cry, falling against the wall and pitifully trying to steady himself against it as the swinging motion of his hand had knocked him off balance after his dash from the couch.

Strangled sobs and snarls escaped his lips.

"M-Masa-ki."

Ichigo's eyes widened, his brown eyes flaring as his mother's name flew from his father's mouth, Isshin slipping down to the ground and burying his head in his hands, the broken man's sobs wracking his form. Ichigo almost saw red, his anger reaching exploding point.

Still tightening his hand against his head, he raced up the stairs, ignoring the cusses and enraged yells thrown his direction by his father as Ichigo left him. Angered tears flooded Ichigo's cheeks, the teen not bothering to stop until he slammed his bedroom door shut behind him, locking it and yelling out as he punched his hand against the surface of the wall.

Wincing and panting harshly, he rested his forehead against the door, hot tears of rage dripping down onto his shirt, his emotions out of control and burning him up from the inside out as he gasped. The pain tearing his brain apart only fuelled his anger, Ichigo panting and fighting the urge to race back down there and take that whiskey bottle and smash it against his father's head.

"B-bastard!" He hissed, his shoulders shaking.

He groaned again as the dull thudding in his head refused to subside. Wiping his eyes against the back of his hand, he took a deep shuddering breath as he pressed his palm to his forehead. Almost falling to the floor, Ichigo willed himself to regain his sense of self-control as he fished in his pocket for his phone.

Pulling it out he brought up his contacts list, Grimmjow's name the only thing echoing in his mind as he found his teacher's number. He stumbled to his bed, falling down against it as he began angrily typing up a new message.

The minutes went by, the only sound in the room being the tapping against the screen. Pausing, Ichigo's reddened eyes glanced over what he had written. Giving out a whimpered growl, he quickly deleted the message, deciding against it at the last second.

Grimmjow had told him to let him know if there were any more issues with his father, but the more Ichigo thought about it, his rage slowly calming as he regained his breath and sense of self, the more he didn't see the need to worry the teacher about it. At least not tonight anyway.

Besides, knowing the blue haired man he would make his way over right that second, whether Ichigo's dad had left yet or not. The teen didn't want to involve his sensei in this.

Throwing his phone against the bed, the screen's backlight turning off, Ichigo laid out and rested his head against his pillow, his eyes blinking away the last remnants of blurriness in his vision as he gazed at the ceiling.

He needed to relax, and at that moment, there was only one thing he could do which might help him calm himself down. His breath coming out as angry puffs of air, he reached down and fastened his fingers around his belt, sliding the strap out of the buckle and then unzipping his jeans. Wincing and biting his lip to avoid any sound escaping, he quickly slipped his hand inside his boxers, his length twitching as he wrapped his hand firmly around his member.

Sliding his boxers down with his free hand, Ichigo's head fell back against his pillow further as his length slipped out of its confines, freed to the cool air of his room. Panting softly, he began stroking, his eyes closing as he rhythmically rubbed up and down, applying pressure and squeezing along his awakening length.

_Please... I need to forget... just let me... forget..._

Pleasure slowly built up, but it wasn't enough, Ichigo needing more to get himself hard. He tried thinking of porn or girls; he even dug his thumb into the slit of his tip which sent a trembling jolt through his body, but he just needed… more…

His breath coming out as sharp huffs, he continued touching himself, kneading his sac and jerking his hips slowly in time to his strokes. Sweat beading slowly on his forehead, he pleaded with his cock to work with him, to listen to him and react to his touch. Letting out an irritated sigh, he opened his eyes and stared at the bright blue of the sky through the window.

And like a literal ton of bricks, it hit him. That blue… the cyan blue of the afternoon sky… he quickly bit the back of his knuckles, his free hand flying to his mouth as the image of vibrant cyan eyes heated and half-lidded invaded his mind, his cock reacting violently and twitching in pleasure in response.

His stomach heaving, Ichigo almost panicking at how wrong this was, he found that he couldn't stop, a low moan passing unbidden from his lips as his dick trembled, his hand stroking his shaft faster, faster as he held onto the image of blue eyes hazed with pleasure inside his mind. His back arching slightly, his hips rose and bucked, his breaths desperate as the image fleshed out to reveal unruly blue strands of hair matted slightly with sweat, warm firm lips biting and sucking down Ichigo's neck. Ichigo trailed his hand down from his mouth, his hips still jerking as he touched his fingertips to his collarbones, his hand moving further to circle around a nipple under his shirt, just as his mind envisioned that firm mouth opening to suck around the pebbled buds on his chest.

Arching further, a mewl of pleasure passing the teen's lips, Ichigo's forehead slicked slowly with sweat, his cheeks becoming a dark flush of red as his hand moved faster, his cock by now fully erect. He was feeling too good to want to stop now, his body burning like it was on fire at what he was imagining. It was wrong. So,  _so_  fucking wrong but it felt so… fucking…  _right_.

Sliding his hand down his chest, his mind feeling the tingling of lips and tongue lapping down his skin, a cry of pleasure escaped his lips as he gave a particularly forceful tug on his length. Warm droplets trickled down his fingers, his breathing fast and heavy, one word threatening to pass from his lips as his cock slicked with pre-cum, his member dripping against his stomach as he worked himself closer and closer to that blissful nirvana.

Warm brown eyes were glossed with pleasure, his mouth open and gasping in desperate mouthfuls of air, strands of orange locks sticking to his forehead as his features slackened. Ichigo envisioned firm lips kissing, caressing slowly over his abdomen, then, with a shuddering moan escaping his throat before he could stop himself, he saw those lips open and enclose around his dripping length, cheeks hollowing as he became swallowed in the blissful heat of the other's mouth.

His back arched violently, cries of pleasure coursing through his chest, his body trembling as his abdomen pooled with heat, his cock feeling so good and ecstasy coursing his being as his hand moved faster, faster, squeezing harder and his hips jerking as if he was fucking into that hot mouth swallowing him eagerly down.

"Sh-shit… haa… ahhh… s-sen… sei…"

His vision exploded with white, Ichigo's entire body shaking as he came, a loud moan of pleasure ringing around his room as his stomach became splattered with the heated strands of his release, pearly white sprayed over his hand and the bed sheets.

Trembling, he waited a moment for his body and mind to come back down from his high, Ichigo still holding his now flaccid cock.

Before he could stop himself he sat up quickly, pulling his pants up and throwing open his door, the teen racing down the hallway and not stopping until he ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

He shuddered, groaning and cussing under his breath as he leant over the sink, trying to decide whether he was going to throw up or not. He felt dirty. So incredibly fucking dirty. He just jacked off while thinking about his  _teacher._

_My teacher!_

Sucking in trembling gasps of air he washed his hands and then pressed his palm to his forehead, rubbing his eyes as he splashed cool water over his face. He rested his forehead against the mirror, squeezing his eyes shut.

His breathing was harsh, Ichigo panting heavily. It scared him. It didn't just scare him that he had found his release thinking of his teacher deep-throating him, or that he had even sunk so low as to get off whilst thinking about the blue haired man in the first place… No. It scared him because he was  _only_  able to make himself feel that good whilst thinking about his sensei. Nothing except images and the memory of  _him_. And he had loved it. He had completely, truly loved it. Even now, his cock gave a tell-tale twitch despite his recent violent orgasm.

"Shit…" Ichigo's voice was shaken as he doubled over.

_What the hell is happening to me?_


	8. One Step Closer to Freedom

Throwing down his car keys, the sound of metal tinkling musically as they hit the coffee table, Grimmjow gave a long groan as he stretched his arms above his head, relieving the tension from his muscles. Bringing his arms back down to his sides a satisfied smile formed on his lips as he gazed around his immaculate living room.

His steps heavy against the carpeted flooring he began walking past the kitchen, his sight set on the stairs ahead of him. As he ascended towards the second floor landing, one thing and one thing only was set in his mind – he had decided that he wanted a nice hot shower. It would give him time to mull over the day's events, after all.

Grunting in appreciation of this plan, he turned the corner at the hallway opening out towards him as he stepped off of the last stair, the blue haired man taking a left down towards his room, the door still slightly ajar.

A swelling sense of satisfaction coursed through his chest at the rather enjoyable day he had spent – Kurosaki's enthusiasm at the writer's convention truly infectious. In fact, the English sensei was still grinning from ear to ear at having finally had the chance to speak with Outoribashi-sensei himself.

He was still left exhilarated by it all, even as the man undid the buttons on his shirt, slipping the garment off of his muscled form, the teacher walking into his bathroom and leaning over the shower railing and turning on the tap.

The hiss of hot water filled the room, soft billows of steam coursing against the glass panes as it did so. Already revelling in the warmth he could feel against his tanned skin, the blue haired man wasted no second in stepping underneath the hot spray, a long sigh of satisfaction falling from his lips as he doused himself in the welcoming heat. His muscles relaxed, his mind becoming pleasantly numbed as the water trickled down his well-toned form.

His hands almost absentmindedly running over the planes of his muscles as he rubbed the soap into his skin, he closed his cyan eyes, allowing his thoughts to roam free.

He wondered if he would be able to take Kurosaki again if there was another writer's convention in town – after all it would prove to be beneficial to the kid's study, as well as allowing the two of them a moment to relax and unwind from the stress of school. A brief snort of amusement left Grimmjow's lips, the teacher musing that he was essentially actively seeking out any opportunity he could to get Ichigo away from his studies and his family to spend weekends with him.

He shrugged it off.

_I'm gonna keep on doin' that until his father gets kicked out an' Ichi can live somewhere safely with his sisters._

Grunting in appreciation of these thoughts he tilted his head back, allowing rivulets of hot water to drench his hair. A quiet sigh parting his lips, his mouth formed a slight grin as he ran over the curriculum he had outlined for class on Monday.

He had been thinking about it during the drive back home, the thoughts niggling relentlessly away in the back of his mind. He was debating whether or not to text Ichigo about it, but he decided that he would leave it as a surprise.

He had no doubt it would bring a grin to the teen's face when he found out for their next assignment they would be doing a textual intervention on why Shakespeare needed to attend more writer's conventions.

Chuckling, he remained in the shower for a while longer, the teacher becoming lost to the welcoming heat of the water as it coursed down his limbs. Heaving a sigh of content when he turned off the spray and stepped out some ten minutes later, he pulled down the overhanging towel and dried himself off.

Now all he had to do was plan up the assignments and finish marking the remainder of his class's narratives.

But first – he wanted to ring up a few friends about a promised basketball match.

* * *

He was shaking, his fingers trembling as he brought them up to grip at his forearm. Bowing his head, he grit his teeth, his form shaking with the angry sobs which were threatening to tear from his throat.

In all his life he never wanted Monday to arrive fast enough.

Warm brown eyes narrowed, moist tears pooling down his cheeks in steady streams as Ichigo heaved a shuddering breath.

_That bastard… I'll kill him._

He bit his lip, fighting against the urge to curl in on himself, reach out and slash at the walls, punch the door –  _anything_  – to deal with his steadily growing rage.

He was still horrified – stricken dumb even – over the horror of what he had done yesterday afternoon when arriving back home from the writer's convention. His body still wracked with shivers of repulsion, Ichigo unable to forgive himself for something so  _wrong_ as having thought about his teacher in such a perverse, sickening way.

And now it had come back to circle around him like a hawk, his actions being repaid for in the form of his drunken and destructive father. He had heard. He had  _heard_ Ichigo cry out his pleasure as he had finished himself off. The teen had thought Isshin had already gone. But he hadn't.

And when he had stormed up those stairs and flung the bathroom door open, the force of his blows against the wooden surface almost enough to break it off its hinges, he had borne down upon the orangette with such an intoxicated wrath that the teen had momentarily forgotten how to fight back. He narrowly avoided the man's wild flying fist to his face, the youth jumping out of the way and raising his arm just in time to block his cheek from the knuckles on direct course to his head.

His father's golden ring – the wedding band he refused to remove – had cut into the skin of his arm, scraping against the flesh and gauging a painful scar in amongst the pre-existing littered green bruises on his tanned skin.

Isshin had then stumbled down the stairs in his rage, the smell of rancid alcohol seeping off of his unsteady form in waves as he slammed the front door shut behind him. Ichigo had been left choking, crying, the tears flowing freely, his father's yells and taunts of "whore", "slut" and other bitter exclamations of rage at the teen's "unholy" actions in response to his father's grief for Masaki coarsely cutting him right to the heart and stabbing him like a sharpened blade.

The only thing which brought some form of peace to the teen's mind was that his father was thankfully unaware of who it was Ichigo had been thinking of when he had made his body react in such a disgusting way.

He had raced to his room, ignoring the shocked cries and exclamations from his sisters, Yuzu and Karin having thankfully managed to avoid their father's rampage. Ichigo refused to answer them, instead shutting them away. He had remained like that for the night.

It was now 1:30pm. He had still not come out of his room.

Running a hand through his locks and trying to steady his breathing once more, his face contorted into an expression of rage as he lifted up his shirt sleeve to glance at the angry red mark on his skin. It tingled, sending a brief wave of prickling pain shooting through his bicep. He ignored it, instead turning his attention to the clock on the wall.

He hastily rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, sniffing furiously. He looked to his phone which was lying screen down on the carpet beside him.

He was going to do it. He was really going to. A wave of nausea swept through him.

He was so close to texting his English teacher for help – any form of help to save him from this hellhole. But just like last night he had thrown his phone down, though this time it was for reasons entirely different than before.

Ichigo wasn't sure whether or not he could bare to face the man anymore after what he had done. He closed his eyes, regulating his breathing in slow, deep breaths.

_But I'm going to have to keep seeing him._

He thought that he could perhaps miss out on school – but where would that leave him except at home, continuously being tormented by that dickhead he called his father? School was his only form of reprieve, and, the orangette tilting his head back against the wall and eliciting a humourless chuckle – he had come to realise so was his teacher.

He knew he was overreacting. Grimmjow wouldn't know – in fact he would  _never_ know about what Ichigo had done. But the teen still couldn't swallow the dry lump in his throat or calm the rolling of his stomach whenever he thought of his blue haired sensei. Especially now, after yesterday.

His fist clenched in his hair.

"Shit." He whispered.

He'd never thought of himself as being gay - though right now he was certainly finding himself questioning. He'd never taken a particular interest in girls before, that much was true and to everyone's knowledge, but they as well as Ichigo himself just assumed he was too focused on his studies to want to become involved with something like that.

He'd kept on telling himself that, and he'd eventually come to believe it. He didn't know what realisation was worse - being late to develop an interest in girls... or finding out with bone-chilling horror that perhaps he never  _would_ develop an interest in girls in the first place. He was sitting on the wrong side of the fence it would seem. And just  _who_ it was he was showing some form of attraction to whilst sitting on said fence...

He chuckled drily, his stomach churning uncomfortably as he fought the urge to vomit.

_I'm just going to have to face it. Push it to the back of my mind. Kurosaki – pull yourself together. He wants to help you! Let him. You can't just push him away now because you happened to think something dirty about him. Not that it's not normal… I mean look at the guy!_

He groaned loudly.

"Shit. I'm so fucked."

Giving a tired laugh, he sucked in a deep breath and held it for a few moments. Exhaling sharply, the action seeming to give him strength, he slowly pushed himself away from the wall and sat up. He cast another glance back to his phone.

Regarding it for a moment longer he bent down to pick it up. His fingers tightened around the sleek casing.

"Pull yourself together, Ichigo." He muttered. With that, his eyes narrowing, he turned around and placed his phone on the top of his cluttered desk. He was about to turn around when a thought struck him. Reaching out to pick his phone back up, he accessed his messages. The ticking of the clock sounded overhead, the orange haired teen not giving it a moment's notice as he placed his phone back down against his textbooks.

His message to his teacher flashed briefly on the screen before the backlight faded.

_See you tomorrow sensei :)_

He exhaled sharply, closing his eyes. He almost jumped out of his skin when the vibrating of his mobile against the desk sounded sharply in his ears some few moments later. Feeling momentarily stunned, his heart quickening its sudden rapid pounding inside of his chest, his hand shook as he slowly outstretched his fingers towards his phone.

His heart almost came to a stop, the teen inhaling sharply as he saw his teacher's name highlighted on the screen. Swallowing the dry lump in his throat and willing himself to calm down, he swiped his thumb across the screen and opened up the new message.

He was unable to suppress the loud laugh which ripped from his throat, a wave of somewhat well-needed relief washing over him when he saw those three small words greeting him from his inbox.

_You cheeky bastard._

Grinning widely, his breathing steadying as he rubbed his eyes, Ichigo's laughter trailed off into quiet chuckles. His mind was still very much far from forgiveness for what he had done yesterday, but the fact that he had reconfirmed just why he wanted to continue seeing him no matter what brought comfort to him in a way that nothing else could.

Turning his phone off he went to unlock his door.

_It was just some weird type of hormonal shit. That's all._

Satisfied with this explanation, he nodded as if to reconfirm his thoughts. He wasn't going to let this bring him down. After all, his sensei was probably the closest friend he had ever had for a long time. And no matter what, he was what kept him sane during his father's drunken rages.

"If I let this all fall apart because of something stupid like that, then I really am a complete fucking idiot." He muttered.

Giving a faint murmur of agreement to these musings he took a deep breath and steeled himself, the orangette opening his door and stepping out into the corridor.

Some lunch and a walk with his sisters would do them all some good.

* * *

"Jaegerjaquez!"

Grimmjow blinked, the blue haired man turning his head as the sound of his name being called loudly down the corridor reached his ears. He raised an eyebrow in a purveyance of both mild irritation and confusion as he saw the blond headed form of Hirako Shinji approach him, the man's coat tails swishing with each hastened jog down the corridor. The man was waving his hand like a lunatic, attracting the rather amused attention of students and teachers alike.

His eyebrow raising further, Grimmjow crossed his arms over his chest, the English sensei really not in the mood for any bravado from the charismatic blond this early on a Monday morning. Hirako eventually stopped in front of him, the man panting faintly and doubling over to catch his breath.

"The hell do ya want, Hirako?" Grimmjow asked, his tone flat. Hirako gasped out a chuckle, the man shaking his head and straightening himself a moment later, inhaling deeply and holding a breath for a minute. Exhaling, his lips pulled apart into a wide grin. The man reached out and clapped his friend on the back.

"I was lookin' for ya." He spoke up cheerily. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, continuing his way through the bustling school corridors, the Music sensei alongside him.

"Well you found me. You want a medal or somethin'?" The English teacher quipped back roughly. Hirako snorted a laugh.

"Come on Jaegerjaquez. Stop bein' such an asshole. Though in all seriousness, Yama-jii wanted me to find ya the moment you arrived." His voice had lowered, Hirako dropping his tone so that only Grimmjow could hear his words, the blond leaning his head forwards conspiratorially towards the blue haired man.

Grimmjow stopped walking.

"What does he want?" He asked, his tone filled with suspicion. His blue eyes were wary.

_What the fuck have I done this time? Is this about Ichi?_

Swallowing thickly, the English teacher willed himself to not think down that road.

Hirako was about to open his mouth to reply when Grimmjow's attention was sharply diverted, the blue haired man having caught sight of a head of distinct orange hair weaving through the bustle of students. He reached out, grunting a faint apology to Hirako as the blond was interrupted.

Ignoring the cussing outburst from his friend, Grimmjow strode forth, calling out before he could stop himself.

"Ichi?"

The boy froze, seeming to stand stock still as the English sensei rushed up to him, a grin on Grimmjow's lips as he drew up alongside the orangette. His expression quickly changed however when he caught the faint look of shock laced with a deeper emotion of something akin to what could only be fear as it flashed momentarily in warm brown eyes. Ichigo's features quickly smoothed over, the teen smiling and gazing at the teacher.

The expression had only lasted less than a second, but Grimmjow had still caught it nevertheless. His eyes narrowed faintly.

_What the hell?_

He was roused out of his uneasy thoughts, his mind swimming with possibilities that Ichigo was under some sort of stress at home once again, by the youth's voice as he spoke up.

"Mornin' sensei. What's wrong?" The orangette asked. Grimmjow continued to stare at him, his expression blank. He narrowed his eyes further, now gazing at the teen with a look of concern.

"Hey, Ichi – are you o—"

"Kurosaki Ichigo. Jaegerjaquez-sensei. There you two are – follow me please."

Grimmjow and Ichigo blinked, the pair exchanging quick glances and lifting their heads as the grating voice of the headmaster sounded from close by. Sure enough, Yamamoto-sensei was standing in wait by the corridor leading into his office. His silvery beard swept down past his chest, his brows bristling faintly as he cracked open wizened eyes to hold the two in his gaze.

Uncertainty flooding their minds momentarily, the two cast another glance towards each other – all previous doubt and concern now pushed aside in favour of wondering just what it was that the headmaster wished to speak to them about.

Seeing no choice but to head over, they stepped around the growing throngs of students in that busy hallway, Yamamoto-sensei grunting in acknowledgement and inviting the pair into his office, the door closing behind them both mere seconds later.

* * *

Glancing around the musky office, teacher and student seated themselves down upon the two chairs set out before the principal's desk, both brown and blue eyes glancing at each other with echoing expressions of confusion before returning to wizened dark orbs.

Yamamoto-sensei was silent, the man sweeping his pinning gaze across the two males before him. The windows were open, allowing a faint breeze to circulate through that otherwise stuffy room, the curtains billowing against the fresh air.

The desk was cleanly polished, its glossy sheen reflecting the three occupants of the office in its surface. The old man leant his elbows on top of the desk, regarding the youth and the English sensei carefully under his half concealed eyes.

Ichigo shifted uncomfortably, the teen's mind working in overtime to try and determine just what it was that he was called in here for – with his teacher no less. He knew that Grimmjow was already suspecting something was wrong with him – he  _had_ been too slow to wipe away the fear in his eyes he knew he was showing when he'd been taken by surprise that morning as his teacher had ran up to him. Even now he felt uncomfortable with being seated so close to him, but his stomach no longer churned with nerves like it had earlier on. He thought perhaps that it really  _was_ something weird happening to his hormones. He exhaled slowly. But now was not the time to be thinking about this. Quickly looking over towards the tanned male next to him, Ichigo observed the creasing of the sensei's brows, Grimmjow obviously working to try and understand their situation as much as the teen was.

A sharp clearing of one's throat drew the youth's attention back to the principal. Yamamoto-sensei grunted.

"I've called you both in here this morning as the services council has just gotten back to me regarding the issue of your domestic state, Kurosaki. Seeing as Jaegerjaquez-sensei is the one who brought this to my attention originally, I deemed it fair for him to be informed as well." The principal spoke up, his voice grating.

Ichigo felt his stomach seem to drop away from inside of him. He swallowed thickly, his hands tightening over his knees. He took a deep breath, nodding. Beside him he was aware of Grimmjow tensing up, the sensei now leaning forwards in his chair, his expression alert and eager.

"What did they say?" The teen asked quietly, amazed that his voice was so steady despite himself. Yamamoto regarded him carefully under his bushy brows.

"That it's possible for you to find new accommodation with your sisters, however the charges against your father cannot be laid down. We have no proof of his actions, and merely telling me of your struggles since your mother's death is unfortunately not substantial evidence enough. If you can afford the money, you can relocate. The school won't be able to help you." He answered.

Ichigo felt like a dead weight had been dropped onto his shoulders. He blinked once, twice, three times more. He lowered his head, his mind swimming.

He felt sick.

"I… see." He whispered. He felt… angry.

Beside him Grimmjow was quick to react.

"Now look here, Yama-jii!" The blue haired man retorted, his rough voice despairing as he stood from his chair. He motioned a hand down to Ichigo, the teen still gazing unblinkingly at the carpet. "Ichigo's gone through hell an' back! It doesn't take a genius to work that out! Those guys must have shit fer brains if they can't see he clearly needs our help!"

Yamamoto's brows bristled, the elderly man gazing coolly at the enraged English sensei as the blue haired man's voice rose in his anger.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, this is a matter out of our jurisdiction. I understand you and agree with you fully, but I cannot extend such help when authority has not been given to me to do so! Calm yourself! Do I make myself clear?" His grating voice grew in intensity, the room seeming to echo with its booming volume.

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed, the man's teeth gritting and an irate snarl passing his lips. He crossed his arms over his chest, his expression steadfast and determined.

"No." He answered simply, his rough voice testing his employer.

There was silence for a moment.

"What did you say?" Yamamoto grunted, his voice deathly quiet. Grimmjow's eyes seemed to flash in their anger, the man's expression contorting into one of infuriated rage.

"I said 'no', Yama-jii. If they think they can fuck around like that then they've got one thing comin' to 'e—Ichi? What's wrong?"

Grimmjow's expression swiftly changed, the blue haired man glancing down just in time to see Ichigo gripping his forearm tightly, the faintest trickles of silvery tears pooling down his cheeks. His youthful features were creased in pain, the teen's chest heaving as he tried to regain control of his emotions.

The room abruptly fell silent.

Grimmjow's eyes widened, the sensei reaching out a hand and resting it against the orangette's shoulder. Ichigo lifted his head slowly at his teacher's touch, the youth shaking his head and trying his best to offer an apologetic smile, though it came out as more of a grimace. Grimmjow blinked, all sense of anger now being replaced with increasing concern. He was about to open his mouth to speak when he was cut off.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. What is that on your arm?"

Ichigo froze visibly, the teen's fingers tightening reflexively over the bandage he had secured around his forearm. The action had lifted up part of his shirt sleeve, showing the area of affliction to the two teachers.

Yamamoto's eyes narrowed at the bandage. Ichigo swallowed thickly, the teen's heart pumping quickly inside of his chest as a wave of nausea hit him. He slowly, ever so slowly lifted his head, chancing a glance to Grimmjow, the English sensei's fingers having tightened almost painfully around the teen's shoulder.

When he met the blank look in cyan blue eyes, the man's jaw clenching, Ichigo felt that that look alone hurt him more deeply than any cut ever could. It was like a blow to the face. He closed his eyes quickly.

_Shit._

He knew he was going to be in trouble.

Trying to ignore his teacher as best as he could, Ichigo turned his head to face the principal once more, Yamamoto still expecting an answer. With trembling fingers, Ichigo slowly reached his hand up to the bandage on his arm, unfastening its knots and letting the wraps of linen fall into a crumpled heap upon his lap.

He closed his eyes again, the sharp intake of breath next to him indicating to the youth that Grimmjow had just gotten a good view of the deep cut embossed on his skin. The sensei's fingers trembled on his shoulder, Ichigo wishing to himself that he could go back home and forget about all of this.

Another silence ensued. Wincing, the teen slowly chanced a gaze towards the principal, seeing crinkled eyes open and gazing intently at the wound on the orangette's arm.

"When did this happen?" The principal's voice was quiet. Ichigo swallowed the dry lump in his throat.

"S-Saturday afternoon." He whispered. Another sharp intake of breath passed Grimmjow's lips.

Yamamoto's expression was hard.

"And your father did this?" He grunted out. Ichigo bowed his head, nodding.

"His ring cut into my skin when I rose my arm to… to shield myself." He mumbled. He could almost hear the clenching of Grimmjow's jaw as the words passed his lips.

The teen was about to continue when Yamamoto raised a hand, stopping him.

"That is enough, Kurosaki. You do not have to add anything else." He grated out. "This is sufficient. I will see about taking your father to court immediately."

Ichigo blinked, the teen hearing yet not comprehending the words spoken to him. He knew what the principal had said, yet his overwhelming guilt and anger with himself prevented him from feeling any other emotion except wariness and fatigue. He could only nod dumbly.

Yamamoto turned his gaze to the English teacher.

"Lead him out of here, Jaegerjaquez. I'll inform you when I hear back from them." He spoke quietly. Grimmjow blinked, rousing out of his thoughts, the teacher sucking in a deep breath to try and control his swirling rage. He nodded, gently guiding the teen up from his seat, Ichigo's hand still gripping his arm tightly.

He was silent, almost intimidatingly so as he helped Ichigo out of the principal's office. He was shaking, his mind feeling frozen with abhorrent shock at the deep purple cut he had seen on the teen's already bruised forearm. He grit his teeth tighter, Grimmjow's eyes narrowing.

_Why the hell didn't he tell me?!_

He was going to have a good word with Kurosaki the second they stepped out of that door.

* * *

Ichigo flinched the moment the door closed, the teen's eyes widening when he found himself suddenly rounded on, the youth pressing himself up against the wall like a cornered rat as enraged cyan blue eyes fixed intently on him, Grimmjow stepping closer.

The youth jumped, a startled gasp leaving his lips when large hands gripped his arm, pulling it out towards the teacher as the blue haired man held Ichigo's arm in a vice-like grip. He ignored the protests and the shaking movements of the teen to escape his hold, Grimmjow instead tightening his fingers around the orangette's wrist as he silently commanded the kid to keep still.

"G-Grimm! St-stop i—"

"Shut up, Ichi." The teacher growled, his rough voice quiet as he pulled up the youth's shirt sleeve and observed the extent of the bruising on the teen's forearm. A hiss escaped his lips, his eyes narrowing further as he gently traced his fingers over the lengthy purple cut marring that once smooth skin, the area inflamed slightly and tinged green with the extent of the bruising. He didn't think he could have ever been so angry before than he did in that moment. Grimmjow almost thought he was seeing red.

Ichigo stopped struggling, the brown eyed teen instead closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, turning his head to face away from his teacher. He couldn't bear to look at him. A wave of intense guilt and self-loathing washed over him, even more so than what it had on Saturday afternoon. Ichigo found that he suddenly didn't care about this close proximity he found himself in with the man – all he cared about was somehow burying himself under his own anger, hiding himself away from the world – anything. Anything at all to replace the dead weight in his stomach at seeing the hurt and pain in his teacher's eyes, combined with the taller man's clearly barely concealed wrath.

The fingers tracing along the cut were gentle and barely noticeable, yet somehow they still seemed to burn the teen's skin as he threatened to break down. His free hand clenched by his side.

"Why the  _fuck_ didn't you tell me about this?!" Grimmjow's voice was shaking with anger, the teacher dropping Ichigo's arm and crossing his arms over his chest, his expression contorted into one of rage and what could have been hurt. He felt that this was a betrayal of his trust.

Ichigo took a shallow breath, blinking and slowly fixing his wavering gaze on his teacher. He flinched again when he saw his teacher's face, the pain in cyan blue eyes cutting him right to the heart like a knife. He tried to form the words to speak, his lips trembling as soundless words fell out.

"B-because… I… I…" His voice cracked with his emotion, Ichigo's words hoarse. He swallowed thickly, rubbing his eyes with his hands to keep the pending tears at bay. It was some moment until he could continue. "Because I didn't want to concern you…" No sooner had the words left his lips had Ichigo realised that he would have been better off not saying anything at all. He felt a wild nausea grip him tightly in its cold, clammy hold.

Grimmjow's features became even angrier – Ichigo didn't think it could have been possible in that moment.

"Didn't want to concern me?" He echoed, his voice so deathly quiet and low that the orangette felt his legs almost give way from under him. In that moment, gazing up at the enraged man before him, he felt scared. In fact, he had never been more scared in his entire life. What he was seeing and hearing right now was more terrifying, more haunting than any issue with his father or any recurring nightmare of his mother put together.

A silvery tear pooled down the youth's cheek.

Grimmjow's mind was blank.

"Ichi… I told you to call me if anything like that happened again… didn't we agree on that?! I'm trying to fucking HELP you for Christs' sake! An' you repay me for all this by betrayin' my trust and saying that you didn't want to CONCERN ME?!" His voice had risen into a yell, the English teacher not even caring if people stopped by in the corridors to glance at them. He growled – let them look. He'd tell the whole fucking school if he had to.

Ichigo flinched once more as the man's harsh yells reached his ears. He backed up further against the wall, somehow trying to put more distance between him and his teacher. He was trembling, his brown eyes wide with horror and moist with tears. He shrunk lower towards the ground.

"I'm… I'm sorry…" He managed out, his voice a broken sob. And oh god was he.

_Please… believe me..._

He shrunk down even lower against the wall. Grimmjow stepped closer, his eyes narrowed so much his cyan irises appeared as nothing more than slits. He moved.

Ichigo cried out, his mind freezing and his brain exploding with fear. He cowered, certain that a hand would roughly connect with his cheek, backhanding him again and again just as his father did on those nights when he was especially drunk. He cried, his voice coming out as broken gasps and pleas for mercy, trying to somehow weakly defend against the assault. Instead, the youth gasped, his eyes opening sharply as that expected blow never arrived. He found that he had been pulled into a tight embrace, his wracking and shaking form held closely against the muscled warmth of his teacher's chest, Grimmjow wrapping his arms around Ichigo's back.

He closed his eyes, his features now pained as he rubbed his hands along the teen's back, whispering a soothing 'shh' as he comforted the distressed youth. Ichigo broke down, his tormented mind too far distraught to even push the older man away, the orangette instead tightening his own arms around his teacher and burying his head against the crook of the man's neck.

He shook, his strangled sobs soon morphing into faint sniffles as his tears flowed fast and freely, the orange haired youth revelling in the scent of the man's skin and the warmth of his body. It made his stomach flip, though in a less than repulsive way than before, and he tightened his hold around the blue haired man.

"Shh… calm down, Ichi." Grimmjow murmured, his rough voice now quiet and hoarse as he continued to rub the teen's back. Ichigo managed a nod, broken apologies passing his lips over and over as he mumbled against the man's neck. Grimmjow's eyes closed, the man shaking his head. He felt disgusted with himself – the fear he saw in the kid's eyes before having torn him apart inside so thoroughly that he knew that he would never be able to make this better. He hated his anger, and to take it out on someone he swore he would help… it was a miracle if Ichigo would even look at him the same way ever again.

He cussed to himself.

_I deserve it. I am so, so sorry Ichigo._

He truly hated himself. He continued to hold the teen to him, wanting nothing more than to somehow make the pain disappear. If he could take back the pain he had caused, he would do it – no matter what it took. He felt the teen's breathing calm down, the youth's chest now rising and falling in slow sync in time with his own. He bowed his head, resting it against Ichigo's.

"'M sorry… I'm so… so sorry…" Ichigo repeated. Grimmjow shook his head.

"Shh. S'my fault… just be quiet. I didn't mean to get so carried away I just… Christ… don't ever hide somethin' like that from me, ever again. Shit… I just want to help you. I care about you, Ichi!" He exclaimed. Ichigo tensed up, the teen momentarily falling completely silent. Before Grimmjow could think on it however, the youth had relaxed again, a faint laugh barely audible passing his lips. The teen's smile was wide, even though the youth knew his teacher couldn't see it.

"Thank you…" He whispered. His hold tightened around his teacher's muscled back. He buried his head further against Grimmjow's neck. Grimmjow managed a hoarse chuckle, nodding and patting the teen on the back, his slight smile widening as he hugged the youth for a moment longer before slowly pulling away.

He ran his hands through Ichigo's hair, his expression softening slightly as he observed the kid rub his eyes against the back of his hands, the orangette looking for the most part back to his usual self.

"Yer comin' home with me tonight Ichi, ok? No arguments." Grimmjow spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest again. The youth nodded, eliciting a quiet sigh as he managed a faint smile, raising his gaze and wincing apologetically to his teacher. Grimmjow gazed at him a moment longer, continuing to run his cyan gaze over the youth. He dropped his sight towards the scar marking the kid's arm, the English sensei having to bite back waves of repulsion as he glanced at it.

"That's not infected or anythin', is it?" He asked quietly. He had some medical supplies around his home, but he wanted to make sure Ichigo could last before the end of the day. The teen shook his head, sighing heavily as he pulled his sleeve up to inspect the wound.

"No. I patched it up after it happened. I'm pretty good with first aid." He responded, his voice quiet. Grimmjow grunted in acknowledgement. At least that was one good thing to come of this.

"Alright, well class is about to start. C'mon, I'll let everyone out early again so we can leave." He answered, guiding the teen along towards the corridor.

Ichigo nodded, jolting almost when long fingers wrapped around his own as the teacher gently pulled him along. He soon relaxed though, the man's touch lulling him to calm just as his embrace did moments ago. Ichigo almost chuckled to himself, wondering why the hell he had made such a big deal about his thoughts on Saturday afternoon if he was feeling like this right now. Still trying to calm the nerves pulsing through his body, his thoughts still laden with guilt, he allowed himself to follow even as the school bells blared around the corridor – teachers and students rushing forth to begin the first lessons of the day.

* * *

It was a great relief to him to leave class early, Ichigo heaving a sigh as he adjusted his bag around his shoulders more, waiting by the sleek black and cobalt blue form of his teacher's car in the staff parking lot.

He gazed around him, absentmindedly watching kids walk across the road, their own lessons having just finished. The day was warm, the breeze cool as it rustled overhead through the trees. The teen tilted his head back, sighing as he closed his eyes. He was bored – Grimmjow having been called away again by the principal when he had left class.

Having parted a glance with the teen, the blue haired sensei had murmured that it could be related towards his father. He had asked Ichigo to wait outside for him, saying that he wouldn't be long. That was approximately half an hour ago.

Grumbling to himself, the orangette tried to ignore the sense of awkwardness which settled over him as some of the teaching staff gazed at him when they approached their own cars. He offered a wave and a slight smile to the Music teacher, Hirako-sensei having called out to him and asked how he was doing.

Not really in the mood to strike up further conversation, Ichigo was mercifully saved the obligation when none other than his English sensei came walking up, cuffing Hirako around the back of the head and swearing something or other to him before approaching the teen. Ichigo's smile of amusement soon faded when he caught the look on the man's face.

"Grimmjow?" He queried, his brows furrowing in confusion when the blue haired man unlocked the door and gestured for Ichigo to get inside. Grimmjow gave an apologetic grimace, the taller man also getting inside his car and seating himself down, buckling his seatbelt and turning on the ignition the moment the youth was settled. The car pulled out of the parking lot, the engine purring loudly as they drove off down the main road some few seconds later.

Grimmjow sighed, running a hand through his unruly blue locks. He looked at Ichigo.

"Sorry about that. You want the good news or the bad news?" He asked. Ichigo swallowed the dry lump in his throat.

"I'll have the bad news." He murmured quietly.

_I bet anything they can't get me, Yuzu and Karin to another place_ , he thought bitterly. His stomach clenched. Grimmjow looked at the teen carefully for a moment before nodding and looking back to the street.

"Well, the bad news is I was late 'cos Aizen-fuckin'-sensei dragged me out to the corridor to ask me about yer Maths homework. I told him to shove it." He replied, his grin turning smug. Ichigo blinked, his expression echoing one of disbelief and profound amusement.

"What?" He asked, unable to keep back the laugh. Grimmjow sniggered, his eyes lighting up with mirth.

"Yeah. I said that if he'd actually give you all a proper amount of time to do the work then he wouldn't have so many kids ignorin' the questions. Oh – and if he'd stop bein' such an arrogant dick in class people might start takin' 'im seriously, too." He grinned.

By now Ichigo was having a hard time trying to control his laughter – the sound ringing out between them as his shoulders trembled with his efforts. Grimmjow's grin was wide, the man evidently looking pleased with himself.

"Thanks for that…" Ichigo smiled as he managed to regain control of himself. Grimmjow nodded.

"No worries. I fully condone you shirkin' off on yer Maths homework, by the way." The English teacher replied. Ichigo laughed again.

"So… what's the good news then?" He asked again after a few moments, the car coming to a pause at a set of traffic lights. Grimmjow's smile softened, the blue haired man fixing cyan eyes on the orangette yet again.

"Child services are gonna take yer father in fer questioning. The school's able to fund yer care program. You'll be living nearer to school and yer sisters are free to go with ya." He replied, his wild grin back in place as he gauged Ichigo's reaction.

The teen's mind momentarily went blank. He blinked, unable to determine whether he had heard his teacher correctly or not. And then, the reality of his teacher's words came crashing down on him, making the youth almost jump up in his seat and cry out again.

"Shit! Are you serious?!" He exclaimed, his eyes wide. Grimmjow laughed louder, the blue haired man grinning yet again.

"Damn right I am, Ichi. It's about time Yama-jii got off his fuckin' ass and started doing something for the students." He answered. Ichigo felt dizzy – whether from relief, shock or happiness, he didn't know. All he knew was that if one could be on top of the world right now, that was him, and he wasn't coming back down to earth anytime soon.

He was so excited that he started stumbling over his words, unable to string together a completely legible sentence. Grimmjow raised a blue eyebrow in amusement, the man barking out another laugh and shaking his head, still grinning.

"Woah, easy there Ichi. Calm down and learn to talk properly, yeah?" He teased. Ichigo grinned, leaning back against the passenger seat and clutching his chest. His heart was pounding rapidly away, adrenalin pumping through him. A moment of silence went by.

"Shit… I can't… I don't know how to even begin—"

"Then don't. Just sit there an' relax. We're almost to my place and then we can get some celebratory ramen from Di Roy if he's up to it, the lazy asshole." Grimmjow answered, chuckling. Ichigo almost started salivating.

"You know what? That sounds amazing. That guy's ramen is fucking good." The teen replied. Grimmjow chuckled again.

Ichigo lapsed into silence, his thoughts simply too many for him to make sense of at this present point in time. He thought it would be best in this case to take his teacher's advice and relax – after all, he didn't know if he could speak properly again for a while. Not until the excitement had worn off and he had some food in him, anyway. So he closed his eyes and fell into a light slumber, the sound of the car's low rumbling somehow easing his mind into rest.

* * *

He continued to feel elated even as he entered the familiarity of his teacher's house some fifteen minutes later, Ichigo barely able to keep back the wide grin which was painting his features even further. Grimmjow invited him to seat himself down on the couch, which he did so – the teen still grinning even as the TV was turned on and the order for an early dinner placed through.

They fell into easy conversation, the food arriving half an hour later and filling the house up with its tantalising scent as they ate, their talk about the day's events dwindling gradually as they watched the early evening sitcom comedies with mild amusement.

Time seemed to fly by so quickly that Ichigo was startled when his phone went off what seemed quite suddenly, the orangette reaching into his schoolbag to pick it out and glancing at the clock momentarily and noting it was 6:30pm. Frowning slightly at the unknown number, he cast an apologetic glance to Grimmjow, the English teacher nodding and turning his cyan gaze back to the television as he crossed his legs further out upon the coffee table.

"Hello?" Ichigo spoke up when he held the phone to his ear. A woman's voice answered.

"Good evening, is this Kurosaki Ichigo?" Her voice was pleasant and mild-mannered. Ichigo sat back further against the couch, running a hand through his hair.

"Yes it is. Who's this?" He asked.

"Ah, Kurosaki-san. I am glad I received the right number from your sisters. My name is Unohana Retsu – I'm from domestic services."

No sooner had the woman finished her sentence had Ichigo's eyes widened, the youth sitting bolt upright on the couch. Grimmjow noticed this, the teacher's eyes narrowing as he quickly put the TV on mute, his full attention now turned towards the orangette sitting next to him.

"What happened? Are Yuzu and Karin ok?" He asked, his voice despairing. Anxiety flooded through him. The woman on the other end gave a soft laugh, the sound helping to somewhat calm him down.

"I'm sorry – I should have probably worded that differently. Your sisters are fine, Kurosaki-san. They're spending the night at Kuchiki Rukia's house. I'm ringing to inform you that your father has been detained overnight in our office. He will be attending a trial tomorrow evening. Since you have no other adult guardian to look after you, we've organised with the principal of your high school to allow you and your siblings place in a home located close to school grounds. You've been made aware of this, yes?" She continued.

Ichigo audibly sighed, running a hand over his forehead again as he relaxed once more. He quickly shot a reassuring smile towards his teacher, mouthing a silent 'everything's ok' before turning his attention back to the woman on the other line.

"Yes I have, Unohana-san. Thank you." He answered. "When will that be happening, do you think?"

"Most definitely over the course of the next day or so." The woman replied. Ichigo's smile grew.

"Thank you so much for that. Thank you for everything." He spoke quietly. The woman laughed pleasantly once more.

"It's no trouble, Kurosaki-san. Please enjoy your night." And with that, she hung up.

There was another silence as Ichigo placed his phone back in his pocket, leaning his head back against the couch pillow and eliciting a long sigh of relief as he closed his eyes. Grimmjow continued to gaze at him, a slight smile forming on his lips as he observed the boy.

"Was it that domestic services place?" He asked. Ichigo nodded, his eyes still closed.

"Yeah. They've taken Isshin. Yuzu, Karin and I can move into our new home over the next day or so." He spoke quietly. Grimmjow's grin widened.

"Really? That's fantastic!" He exclaimed. Ichigo laughed, now opening warm brown eyes and turning his head to lock his gaze with that of his teacher's.

"Yep." He replied, his grin matching his sensei's. Grimmjow laughed, he too leaning his tall form back against the couch more and giving a sigh of relief.

"Finally." He muttered under his breath. Ichigo chuckled faintly, catching this and stifling a yawn as he made to stand up. Grimmjow looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Tired already?" He teased. Ichigo rolled his eyes, reaching down and throwing one of the couch pillows at the older man. Grimmjow barked out a laugh, catching it and swatting it away.

"No but I might as well get ready for bed. Can I use the shower?" The teen asked, already making to walk off. Grimmjow nodded.

"Sure."

His response was met with a wave.

"Cheers, sensei!" Ichigo called out. Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"Cheeky bastard!" He shot back. Ichigo guffawed a laugh even as he raced up the stairs towards the spare room. As he jumped up the last two steps and navigated his way around towards the spare room he had used last time, his mind focused on a rewarding hot shower, his brows furrowed faintly as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone again.

He scrolled through his contacts until he found Karin's number. In doing so, he selected her name and rang her up, pressing the phone to his ear as he entered his room and made a beeline towards the ensuite bathroom. The dial tone sounded for a few seconds until it was answered, his sister's voice answering.

"Ichi-nii, are you ok? Did that lady ring you up yet?" Her voice was eager and concerned. Ichigo smiled, the sound of his sister's voice calming him as he paused by the door of the bathroom.

"Yeah I'm fine Karin – she did. You and Yuzu ok?" He asked, his own tone concerned. He heard his sister give a sigh of relief on the other end.

"I'm glad… we're fine, Ichi-nii." She replied. Ichigo's smile was satisfied.

"Good. We'll be moving in to our new place sometime over the next few days. When you and Yuzu get back from Rukia's start packing and I'll join you when I get home tomorrow afternoon." He replied. Karin gave a murmur of understanding.

"Sure thing. Yuzu says hi, by the way. We're all concerned… Rukia especially. We told her you're an idiot who won't take anyone's help anyway so now she's fine with it." She said. Ichigo laughed loudly, shaking his head and smiling fondly.

"Thanks Karin." He replied. His sister laughed. Chuckling, he moved forwards again in the bathroom, opening the door and turning on the light. "I have to go now. Love you two – I'll be home tomorrow." He said. He could almost hear Karin smiling on the other side of the line.

"You too, idiot brother." She laughed. Ichigo chuckled again, hanging up. Setting his phone down on the kitchen basin, he sighed, running a hand through his messy orange locks as he gazed at his now somewhat dishevelled appearance in the bathroom mirror.

Swallowing down the wave of repulsion which flooded through him again as he removed his shirt, catching sight of the ugly scar on his left arm, he flung the garment onto the bed and then closed the door, stepping into the hot spray of water and sighing as he allowed the worries of the day to wash away with him.

 


	9. New Around the Neighbourhood

Grunting a little as he placed the weighty box down upon the kitchen counter, Ichigo lifted his arm and wiped his hand across his brow, heaving a relieved sigh. His back and arms were aching from the strain of moving, and as he cast warm brown eyes in an approving glance around the immaculate small kitchen area, eyeing the empty shelving yet to be filled with various ingredients and spices, he felt a smile come to his lips.

He heard feet running behind him and he turned his head just in time to catch sight of heads of mousey brown and black hair dashing past him, Karin and Yuzu laughing as they began their race towards the nearby staircase. Chuckling, the orangette turned his attention back towards the latest box he had placed down, reaching in and sifting his hands through the newspaper-rolled items – various eating utensils and personal belongings.

Heaving another sigh of relief he methodically unpacked the contents, casting a satisfied glance over the emptied cartons and crates already stacked against the nearby wall. Closing his eyes and tilting his head, rolling his shoulders to relieve the tension in his neck muscles, he stepped back and ran a hand through his spiked orange hair.

 _That's the last of them unpacked,_ he thought to himself. He picked up the now-empty box, stacking it alongside the others. He would sort those out tomorrow when he and his sisters would be more settled. His grin widening when he heard the excited laughter of his sisters from the second floor above, he chuckled again as he sifted through his pockets, pulling out his cell phone and checking to see if he received any more messages. So far he hadn't, the last text he had received being from his English sensei some fifteen minutes ago – telling Ichigo that he would be stopping over tomorrow evening to see how he was going.

Smiling wider, Ichigo began absentmindedly humming a quiet tune to himself as he placed his phone once more back in his pocket, casting another glance over the living room before him. It seemed all too surreal, the small yet functional living room home to two couches and a TV, neat bookcases standing alongside. The carpets were a muted red to match the curtains, and the kitchen behind him was nothing more than a neat little alcove – yet, as he took in the new surroundings of the house that he would be living in with his sisters until they finished their education, free from their father and closer to the high school, he found himself thinking that no matter how quaint or small it was in comparison to their original home, nothing could have ever seemed so perfect to him.

He was just glad that the stress of moving this past week was almost behind them. Grimmjow had gone back and forth between driving the teen to his house, the blue haired man helping with the packing and boxes – Yuzu and Karin delighted to be properly introduced to the teacher who had helped make this all possible. Grimmjow had stayed for a while longer to aid the family with their various belongings as they began the arduous task of unpacking.

It had been close to 10pm yesterday evening when the older man had left for good, parting them with a grin on his lips and a wave to the family. Ichigo grinned as he walked back into the kitchen, turning on the kettle and waiting patiently for the water to boil as he went about preparing himself and his sisters some tea. Yamamoto-sensei had allowed him three days off of school to become acquainted with the new house and the neighbourhood – this quiet side of Karakura Town's suburbia a safe and undisturbed area.

His warm brown eyes soft, Ichigo drummed his fingertips against the kitchen counter.

It was a perfect area for both his sisters and himself to live. It made him even more thankful that he wasn't there when his father was taken away those few nights ago. Biting back the bile he could now feel rising in his stomach, Ichigo narrowed his eyes. In fact, he hoped that he would never have the misfortune to run into that man again. He shook his head as if to physically help rid himself of these thoughts.

 _It's all in the past now,_ he reminded himself.  _Just stay focused on helping Yuzu and Karin. That's all that matters._

Seeming to nod in appreciation of this, he picked up the now-boiled kettle and poured hot water into the cups, dunking the teabags he had previously set inside and watching as the water swirled into a deep ochre brown.

This was their chance to start over from a new slate – it was their opportunity to live life to the fullest, which was what they had been wanting, especially Ichigo. For the first time in five long months he finally felt as if he could start to leave all his worries behind him. He tilted his head back to gaze at the ceiling, running over his plan for the next few days in his head.

 _We should be finished packing by this afternoon… then tomorrow Grimmjow's coming over._ A large grin pulled at his lips. His English sensei had promised something about a basketball match he was eager to make the teen attend, the man having mentioned something about organising one over the next coming weeks.

Ichigo couldn't help but feel somewhat elated at the man's enthusiasm whenever he spoke of these tournaments, and the orangette found himself damn near excited himself to come along and watch. He wanted to meet these people whom his wild looking teacher called his friends – the teen wondering if any of them were like him in terms of their personalities.

As he was about to pick up the cups of tea, his thoughts straying, he was roused back to the present when he heard movement behind him. Smiling, he handed Karin her tea, his sister walking into the kitchen and tapping him on the back.

"You ok, Ichi-nii?" She asked as she thanked him, a smile forming on her lips as she drank from her cup. Ichigo nodded, sipping from his own tea and leaning against the kitchen railing.

"Yep. You and Yuzu finished your unpacking yet?" He asked, his brow raising in a knowing look. Karin rolled her eyes, the young girl laughing.

"Nah, we haven't. We'll do it tomorrow, relax. There's too much to explore in this new neighbourhood!" She spoke up, her tone excited. Ichigo flashed a wide grin.

"Tell me about it. Oh, that reminds me. Grimmjow said he's gonna be around here again tomorrow afternoon when school finishes." He answered. Karin nodded, moving forwards to pick up the remaining cup of tea for her sister. As she did so, she smiled at her brother.

"Good, I'm glad. He's really nice, Ichi-nii. You better stay friends with him for the rest of your life, you hear me?" She chastised light-heartedly. Ichigo blinked, the teen's features softening as he elicited a quiet chuckle. He held her steady gaze for a while longer.

"Believe me, I plan to." He answered quickly. Karin nodded, seeming happy with this as she turned around and offered a wave as she disappeared back up the stairs once more, calling out to her sister that she had her tea in the process.

Ichigo was left mulling over his words and the meaning behind them as he looked back at his drink, seeming to become lost to his inner musings once more as he gazed at the swirling brown ripples of hot steaming liquid.

He didn't know whether he should be concerned or not that he had managed to answer that question with relative ease. Quickly pushing it to the back of his mind, he downed the last of his drink, revelling in the warmth the hot beverage provided. Placing his now empty cup back in the sink he walked over to the leather couch, sinking down into its soft depths and sighing in content as he stretched his legs out and closed his eyes.

He contemplated turning on the TV to watch whatever crappy show was on, and reopening his eyes he made to pick up the program guide which was thrown carelessly over the coffee table. Running his eyes over the times and names before him, he was lost in thought when the buzzing of his phone in his pocket made him blink, Ichigo's brows creasing in confusion as he reached down and pulled his phone back out.

Almost jerking upright as he saw his teacher's name on the screen, his fingers flew to hastily open the new message he had received.

_Sorry, Ichi. Can't make it to visit you after school tomorrow. Yama-jii's sending Aizen-fucking-sensei. Don't do anything I would do. You have to actually stay in school, yeah? I don't wanna find out you've been expelled for taking it out on a teacher no matter how much of a dick he is._

Ichigo groaned loudly, the youth feeling a sudden overwhelming sense of deflation settle over him.

"Fucking great…" He muttered, reaching up and resting his palm over his forehead. Releasing a grumbled stream of cusses under his breath he was just about to send a reply text demanding what the hell was going through the principal's head when he received yet another message from his English sensei.

_Though if you happen to throw a textbook at his head I'd be fully ok with that ;)_

Ichigo couldn't help himself. He laughed. Loudly. His shoulders trembling with the efforts of his laughter he struggled to contain himself, reaching up and dabbing away the pending tears with his hand.

He rolled his eyes, his grin wide as he typed up a response. Gazing over the message he sent it, smiling with amusement.

_Just a textbook? Thought you told me to not do anything you'd do, sensei._

He didn't have to wait long for another reply.

_You're so lucky I'm not there right now, Kurosaki._

Ichigo tilted his head back, another loud laugh falling from his lips. He thought that he was probably grinning like some kind of lunatic, an odd sense of satisfaction and thorough enjoyment now filling him as he sent off another message. This was something seemingly so stupid, yet it meant the world to him at this point in time.

_Yeah I probably am. I wouldn't be getting any unpacking done without having to listen to endless rants of why Aizen is the embodiment of every melodramatic pansy that Shakespeare has ever created._

He was barely able to hold back the snort of laughter when the next message popped up.

_Now that you mention it… that's actually a really fucking good idea! Nice one, Ichi. I have next lesson all planned!_

Ichigo had to muffle his noise on the nearby pillow as he hurriedly pressed it to his face, his body wracking with each guffaw as it left his throat. He knew that it was probably useless – his sisters most likely already hearing everything that was going on. His throat now feeling slightly sore from all his laughing, he shook his head, taking deep breaths to steady himself as he tapped away at the screen.

_Speaking of – shouldn't you be busy working or some teacher-ey shit right now?_

He waited a moment for his sensei to reply, the youth gazing absentmindedly at the clock on the mantelpiece. He looked back when his phone buzzed some few minutes later.

_Fuck that shit. But you're right. I was gonna get around to finishing off my marking anyway. I'll see you tomorrow at school, Ichi._

Ichigo smiled, chuckling as he sent off a returned 'you too'. He turned his phone off, leaning back against the couch once more and heaving a weary sigh. The clock continued to tick by as he chewed his lip in thought. Uncertain as to what he should do next, he picked up the remote and turned on the TV, beginning to watch and allowing himself to become lost to the programs of the day.

* * *

"Have a good day, ok? I'll be waiting outside when your classes finish."

"Sure thing, Ichi-nii."

"Have fun, onii-chan!"

Ichigo chuckled, smiling as he gave a return wave to his sisters, Karin and Yuzu turning around and heading off down the tree-lined path leading towards the primary school. Students were gathering around him, some offering waves and nods of acknowledgement to the orangette as he hoisted his bag over his shoulders. He returned the gestures, making his own way towards the high school entrance.

The doors were flooding with students, the corridors ringing with the early morning noise. Frankly it was enough to make Ichigo shake his head, the teen sorely tempted to press his hands to his ears to stop his eardrums from being blown out. He tried to ignore the screams and the exited chatter as much as possible, guiding his way into the moving throng of senior students as they swamped towards the staircase.

This morning there was an assembly, and the enthusiasm was clearly etched on many faces present. Everyone looked, for lack of a better word, bored as shit. Ichigo barely suppressed an amused scoff.

 _Can't say I blame everyone,_ he thought to himself. Excusing himself as he bumped into someone, he finally climbed the stairs, only to find himself dragged away almost the exact moment he had stepped onto the second floor.

"AH! WHAT THE—"

"Idiot! I was calling out to you for ages!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes, the orangette lifting a hand to nurse the back of his head as Kuchiki Rukia's hand smacked down. Glaring in irritation at the petite black haired girl, he grumbled as he straightened himself up.

"You think you could call out a little louder then, next time? It's too early in the morning for this shit Rukia!" He exclaimed, raising an eyebrow. The girl rolled her eyes, a wide grin forming on her lips.

"Whatever, you're hopeless. C'mon, we have a seat saved for you!" She reached out, dragging her friend along by the arm and ignoring his faint protests. Sighing and allowing himself to be pulled along he gave a tired wave to Sado, Renji and Ishida as Rukia forcefully sat him down. Wide grins were on his friends' faces, the three boys exchanging amused glances with the orangette.

"Well that's one way to get you to shut up and be more organised, Kurosaki." Ishida spoke up, the boy sliding his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. Ichigo rolled his eyes, punching the navy haired youth in the shoulder.

"Shut up, Ishida." He muttered. Lifting his head, he glanced around at them all. "Where's Inoue?" He asked.

"She's going to be late this morning. Her brother was visiting her last night and she slept in." Rukia replied, placing her phone back in her dress pocket after reading the text on her screen. Ichigo shrugged, turning his attention back towards the front. The auditorium was steadily crowding in with students and teachers alike, the background hum of voices now increasing loudly.

He wasn't really paying attention to his friends as they fell into conversation beside him, Ichigo only nodding his head at various intervals to make it look like he was listening. His eyes wandered, gazing at the rows of his rowdy classmates. The Maths Studies teacher walked in, casting a wide smile to a group of female students who called out to him. Ichigo visibly shuddered, the teen quickly removing his gaze from the figure of Aizen-sensei.

He really did hate that guy, and part of the reason why he wasn't eager to get to school this morning was because he had two hours with the asshole today in class, not to mention he would be stopping over afterwards at his new home to ask how he was going.

_Still… anything's gotta be better than having to put up with dad._

The teen groaned faintly.

_I wonder how long I'll be able to last today?_

"Have you unpacked yet, Ichigo?"

Ichigo stirred from his thoughts at Sado's inquiry. He turned to face the dark haired teen, nodding in response.

"Yeah we're reasonably settled in now. We just have a few bits and pieces left to unpack but honestly that can wait until the weekend." He answered. Sado nodded, Ishida and Rukia exchanging glances of interest.

"I'm so happy that you were able to be given this opportunity." Rukia murmured softly. "I mean it, Ichigo."

The orangette gazed at the petite girl for a moment, feeling a warm chuckle emerge from his throat. He smiled.

"Thanks Rukia." He whispered. She nodded, smiling satisfactorily as she sat back in her seat and crossed her legs, returning her gaze to the front. Ichigo remained quiet, his mind straying once more to the sense of gratitude he felt knowing his friends were supporting him through this rocky path in his life. Not one day had passed since he had informed them of that woman's call had the five of them not stopped in ringing him up or asking him at school if he needed help with anything. He would accept on some occasions, and politely decline on others... but this wall of support he knew existed around him had helped his outlook considerably in such a relatively short time. He wouldn't know where he would be without them. Them and the teacher who had helped him from the very beginning. He didn't have any time to reflect further on this as a sharp tugging on his shirt sleeve drew his attention, Ichigo rolling his eyes and socking Renji in the jaw. Renji grunted out, rubbing his cheek as he glared darkly at the orangette.

"The fuck was that for, Ichigo?! I was trying to talk to you!" He exclaimed. Ichigo rolled his eyes for what he felt was the millionth time that morning.

"It was your fault, you idiot. What'd you want?" He asked, irritated. Renji's expression quickly changed, the redhead smirking as he motioned behind them.

"Your favourite teacher's here." He snickered. Ichigo's eyes narrowed further, wondering what his friend could possibly mean by that when he followed the redhead's gaze. Instantly Ichigo found himself smiling widely, holding up a hand and waving as Grimmjow strolled inside, the man's shirt roughly untucked as was his norm and his hair still that usual tousled mess of blue locks.

Catching the teen's eye, Grimmjow's lips formed a wide grin as he raised his own hand in a wave, nodding to the teen and making a motion with his head that the youth should turn his attention back to the front of the room. Ichigo nodded, smiling as he settled back further against his chair. Beside him, Renji's eyes widened.

"Dude…" He breathed. "What the hell was that?"

Ichigo frowned.

"What are you on about now, Renji?" He asked wearily. Renji blinked.

"What's with all that waving?! You're supposed to be all 'oh god no! Renji, hide me!' Why the fuck are you two acting like you're on such good terms?!" He cried out. Ishida, Sado and Rukia exchanged glances, their brows raising alongside Ichigo's as they gazed at the redhead.

"Aww... are you still upset because Jaegerjaquez-sensei got you in trouble with the Bio teacher?" Rukia asked, a smirk pulling at her lips. Renji promptly grew red in the face.

"No!" He yelled back indignantly. Rukia scoffed, turning back to her phone.

Ichigo lifted his gaze, seeing a head of pink hair next to Grimmjow's.

"Why don't you ask him yourself Rukia? He's right there." The teen mentioned airily. Rukia turned her head, the black haired girl throwing her head back in laughter. Renji's face visibly paled.

"WHAT?!" He yelled, clapping his hands quickly over his mouth as he let out a rather unmanly shriek. Ichigo had to bow his head, covering his own mouth as his sniggers rang out. Ishida adjusted his glasses once more, the youth unable to hide his large grin despite his efforts. Sado's expression was deeply amused.

Thoroughly enjoying this, Ichigo lifted his head again and waved.

"Hi Granz-sensei!" He called out. The teacher blinked, the pink haired man looking up from where he was engaged in conversation with both Grimmjow and the Music teacher, Hirako-sensei having sidled up to the two seconds previously. Ichigo continued to wave, Granz-sensei fixing his gaze on the youth and offering a wave in return, smiling as he did so.

Ichigo was about to call out again when a hand fisted in his hair and pulled him back down.

"What are you doing?!" Renji hissed, his expression mortified. Ichigo laughed, shoving his friend off. A loud groan filled his ears, Renji ducking down further behind his seat. "Shit! Now he's coming over!" He wailed.

Ichigo was too far gone with laughter to even shove the larger teen off of him again as he looked back up, the Biology teacher now standing in front of them and raising an eyebrow at the scene as it played out.

"I was about to ask what was going on here but I feel like I should probably leave you two to it…" He spoke up, his smooth voice carrying a knowing air. Ichigo snorted, now successfully managing to pry Renji free from him with Sado's help. Renji shot a hateful glare at the Biology teacher. The look was returned without even so much as a bat of an eyelid from the sensei.

"Abarai's being immature, as always." Ishida sighed. The teacher looked at him.

"So it would seem. Ah, before I forget – in class today, remind me to give out the results for last week's test, Ishida-kun. Oh, and while you're at it there Ichigo-kun, the principal has me on the roster to see how you're doing at some stage. I'll let you know when as soon as I find out." He spoke up, smiling. Ichigo nodded, batting away Renji's near death-grip around his shirt collar.

"Thanks for that." He answered. The Biology teacher nodded, then gave an apologetic grimace.

"Though I heard Aizen-sensei was meant to see you this afternoon. Good luck." He added. Ichigo shuddered.

"Yeah, thanks." He replied. The teacher nodded again, making to turn away. As he did so he paused.

"Oh by the way, Abarai…" He spoke up, his tone louder as he looked back at the redhead. Renji gulped, his skin visibly paling even more.

"Y-yes sir?" He asked, his voice trembling. He cast irritated glares to his friends who had once more broken out into scattered fits of laughter. The teacher's lips formed a pleasant smile.

"I looked over your homework task last night. I was very surprised. You passed." He replied. Renji's mouth fell open. Ichigo, Sado, Ishida and Rukia all glanced at each other, the four now falling silent. Renji continued to gape, his expression incredulous.

"… I what?" He asked dumbly. The teacher rolled his eyes.

"Hard of hearing? You passed, Abarai. You got seventy per cent which I must say is quite possibly your best mark all year." The sensei repeated.

For a moment Renji looked like he wasn't sure whether to believe this was some kind of joke or if he was actually floating on cloud nine. Ichigo rolled his eyes at his friend.

The teacher's smile suddenly grew into a smirk.

"Though Kurotsuchi-sensei was talking to me before and he wants you back after class because you failed your molar measurements for your last Chemistry assignment." He breezed cheerfully. Renji's face immediately fell.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" He cried out before he could stop himself.

Granz-sensei smirked wider, chuckling as he reached out and clapped his hand against Ichigo's, the orangette grinning as he returned the high five. Waving, the Biology teacher headed back off towards Hirako-sensei and Grimmjow, the latter two barking with laughter at the scene.

"I don't know what just happened… but damn that was brilliant." Rukia breathed in awe. Sado and Ishida exchanged highly amused glances, Renji meanwhile shaking with anger. Ichigo continued to snigger, looking up and locking his gaze with that of his English teacher's.

"What?" He mouthed out, the principal having stepped up to the lectern and calling for quiet. Grimmjow scoffed a laugh, shaking his head and grinning back at the youth.

He mouthed something back which Ichigo was one hundred per cent sure may or may not have been "you cheeky bastard." Giving a thumbs up to the blue haired man, the teen grinned and settled back further in his chair. Ignoring the grumbled curses of his name next to him from Renji, Ichigo turned his gaze to the form of the principal as all chatter eventually died down, the auditorium now lapsing into complete silence.

Yamamoto-sensei gazed out at the assemblage under his thick brows, the elderly man clearing his throat as he moved closer towards the microphone.

"Good morning boys, girls and teaching staff. We're running overtime today so this meeting will be brief." He paused momentarily to allow the scattered cheers from the students to die down. Grunting faintly he continued, his harsh voice rasping out over the speakers. "As you're aware, the graduation for our senior students is approaching within the next few months. More detailed information will be handed out in class over the course of the upcoming weeks. I expect you all to read over the information  _thoroughly_ , as it contains vital costs and dress codes etcetera."

Conversations immediately resumed, students bowing their heads as they talked over their principal's words. Ichigo blinked, his mind momentarily going blank.

_Graduation?_

He groaned. With all the excitement of the past week, he had forgotten all about that. A wave of excitement rushed through him at the prospect of finishing school, but it was quickly dampened when he realised that he would have to go through the last stretch of a few month's worth of classes. The only thing that kept him somewhat sane was his English lessons… and with that thought, he felt himself sink lower.

If he was to graduate… he probably wouldn't see his teacher again.

He bit his lip, swallowing down this unpleasant thought.

The principal spoke up once more, silencing all conversation yet again.

"Now then, for the sports festival this year a few of the students and teachers…"

He stopped paying attention, the principal's grating voice becoming a mere background hum as the orangette turned his warm brown eyed gaze towards his blue haired teacher still standing some few feet away.

Grimmjow offered a faint smile, catching Ichigo's gaze on him. The notion was understanding, as if the sensei had somewhat guessed what was evidently plaguing the orangette's thoughts. Giving a slight smile back, Ichigo sighed and looked back to the front of the auditorium.

He didn't even blink when Renji passed off another snide remark to him about being the teacher's pet.

All he could think about was wanting to hurry up and get to class – hopefully the next two hours with Aizen-sensei would be enough to drown out the rest of the depressing thoughts currently plaguing his mind.

* * *

"Good luck, you two."

"See you after class, ok?"

"Yeah… thanks guys."

Sighing heavily, the orangette raised his hand in a wave as Renji, Sado and Rukia walked off, leaving Ichigo and Ishida alone outside the door of their least favourite lesson of the week. Glancing down at his watch, Ichigo groaned when he saw that class was due to start in fifteen minutes. Unfortunately Aizen-sensei had a penchant for arriving much earlier to class and invariably giving off detentions to any student who entered the room later than he did.

 _The guy seriously needs a new schedule. Preferably at a different school,_ the teen mused bitterly as he turned his head, biting back another groan when sure enough he saw the head of wavy brown hair weaving through the throng of students and slowly approaching.

_Speak of the devil._

The remainder of the students also looking up, they shared glances and unanimous groans, already assembling their lines. Aizen-sensei was the type of teacher who was very old fashioned, and everything had to be perfectly 'prim and proper'. Biting back a snort of amusement at how lazy his English teacher was in comparison, the teen found himself wishing for not the first time that he could just skip class and go spend the day at Grimmjow's house.

Maybe kick back and watch a movie, attend another writer's convention… a smile pulled at Ichigo's lips.

_Talk about how Aizen's the embodiment of every melodramatic pansy Shakespeare's ever created perhaps…_

He really did have to bite back the snort of laughter as he took his place next to Ishida, the navy haired teen casting an inquiring glance towards the orangette as if to question just what it was exactly that had him smiling to himself like some type of lunatic. Ichigo shook his head, mouthing a silent "I'll tell you later." Ishida rolled his eyes, the teen sliding his glasses up.

The Maths Studies teacher now drew up before them, his cold brown eyes surveying the two neatly lined rows of his class underneath his black rimmed glasses.

Seeming satisfied that everyone was present, he nodded and opened the door, motioning with his hand for the students to file in silently. They did so, no one daring to lock gazes with him. Ichigo felt an uncomfortable prickling of his neck as he passed the taller man by – he could almost feel the teacher's gaze on him for entirely too long for his liking. Sucking in a deep breath the youth willed himself to keep it together as he followed his friend, the two sitting down in their seats by the window and taking out their textbooks.

Closing the door behind him loudly, Aizen-sensei strolled towards the teacher's desk, setting down his briefcase and turning around to begin writing down today's tasks on the blackboard, the only sound audible in the silent classroom being that of the chalk as it screeched uncomfortably.

He then placed the chalk back down on the desk, turning around and sliding his hands into the pockets of his tweed jacket.

"Good morning, class." He began, his deep voice oily sounding as he gazed at everyone. "Because of that ridiculous interruption this morning I am afraid we shall have to skip out on activities thirteen and fourteen of your textbooks. However…" He paused, smiling. "… That gives us more time to begin our journey with calculus."

Scattered groans sounded throughout the class, the students all looking crestfallen at this news. One swift glare from the teacher though had them all shut up seconds later. Ichigo gripped his desk tightly, the teen resisting the urge to beat his head against it. He shot a sidewards glance at Ishida, the teen smiling slightly as he turned to his next page of his workbook. With a disparaging snort of amusement Ichigo noted that half of the calculus questions had already been completed.

 _Freaking nerd,_ he thought bitterly.

The sound of the door opening had everyone's attention lifted towards the front of the room. One of the students nervously peeped his head around the door, his face immediately paling when he saw the form of the teacher gazing directly at him, an unsettlingly pleasant smile on his lips.

"Late are we, Yamada-kun?" Aizen-sensei drawled, a thick eyebrow raising under his hairline. The student gulped.

"Y-yes sir." He stammered. Aizen-sensei's smile never faltered.

"You have of course been a member of this class for the entire semester, so you are aware of what time I expect you to be here. You are five minutes late. Detention. My office. After class. No excuses." He answered simply.

The student's head bowed, strands of bobbed navy black hair falling into pale blue eyes as Yamada Hanatarou nodded, slouching and slowly making his way towards his seat in the front row. Everyone looked at him, expressions of sympathy cast his way as the heartbroken looking teen sat down. Someone's throat clearing made the class look back up towards the teacher.

"Now then. I trust there will be no further interruptions. Take out your homework task from yesterday – I wish to see it." Aizen-sensei called out. Ichigo gulped, feeling a faint sweat forming on his forehead.

_Shit…_

He hadn't done the homework as he wasn't at school yesterday. He knew that he would have to bring the issue up to the man and risk public humiliation, but what else  _could_ he do? The teacher was going to thoroughly check his notebook anyway.

Groaning inwardly, the orangette slowly raised his hand.

_I'm so fucked._

"Uh… Aizen-sensei…" He called out, somehow managing to keep his voice steady. The teacher blinked, pausing from his inspection of the notebooks opened on students' desks as he walked down the rows. He turned his gaze to Ichigo. A smug look flashed in his eyes.

"What is it, Ichigo-kun?" He asked. Ichigo shifted a little in his seat.

_If this goes to hell I can just get Grimmjow to back me up._

"Uh, I wasn't at school yesterday as I was unpacking with my sisters at our new place… so I didn't do the homework…" He continued. There was silence for a few moments, Aizen-sensei's brow raising higher in a heightened display of amusement.

"Ah yes, I do recall. Yamamoto-sensei requested I see you after school today as well. That is fine. You're just going to have to do the homework while I'm there." He replied, his lips curling into a sneer. Ichigo felt his mouth drop open.

"What?!" He exclaimed. Ishida kicked him under the table.

"Arguing with me already at this time of morning, Kurosaki Ichigo? You will join Yamada-kun for detention after class." Aizen-sensei replied.

Ichigo grit his teeth, his hands clenching over his desk. Beside him, he heard Ishida mutter a quiet "let it go Kurosaki" under his breath. Shooting a withering glance to his friend, he cast his angered glare back up to the teacher, Aizen-sensei remaining standing and gazing at the orangette with a challenging expression, as if daring him to retort.

It took all the waning self-control that he had left to keep the insults he was ready to fire off at bay, Ichigo instead turning his gaze to the window, his features set into a seething scowl. Aizen-sensei smirked once more, turning his attention back to the blackboard.

"Page three hundred and seventy. Open to it. Now." He instructed, his deep voice ringing out in the silent classroom. The sounds of chairs scraping and pages flipping ensued as students hurriedly set to work.

Ichigo meanwhile was still gazing darkly outside the window. He really couldn't wait for the day to be over and done with. He was trying unsuccessfully to remain calm under the circumstances, though the teen was threatening to implode with the weight of his anger.

He didn't really know what drove him to do it, but he fished inside his pants pockets, his fingers sliding against the metallic surface of his phone. He slowly pulled it out, Ishida blinking and narrowing his eyes disapprovingly at his friend as the navy blue haired boy watched Ichigo begin to type out a message.

Ichigo ignored him, instead glancing up every so often to check to see if Aizen-sensei had turned around to look back at the class. He hadn't. Now finishing with his message, the youth's lips pulling into a thin line, he sent it, casting a last quick peek at the screen before the backlight faded.

_Aizen's got me in for detention after class. Help me._

He hastily stowed his phone back in his pocket, the teacher now turning once more to look back at the students. Ichigo quickly flipped his book open to make it appear as if he had been following instruction. Seeming satisfied that everything was in order, Aizen-sensei moved to sit down at the desk, pulling out his laptop and beginning to methodically tap away at the keys.

"You may begin." He stated simply. The students cast nervous glances to one another.

"Uh… but sir… you haven't explained how we're meant to work these new equations out…" One kid near the back with pale blond hair hanging in a sweeping bang over his right eye spoke out. The teacher lifted his head.

"The instructions are there in the textbook, Kira-kun. I fail to see me repeating them twice. You can all read can't you?" The sensei replied, arching a brown eyebrow once more. Kira Izuru fell silent again, the youth looking down at his work and trying to hide the expression of despair on his face as his eyes darted from one question to another.

His phone vibrating in his pocket quickly drew Ichigo's attention away from the poor kid, the orangette sneaking another glance to the teacher to make sure he wasn't watching. The sensei's eyes were focused on his laptop screen.

Looking down, Ichigo almost breathed a massive sigh of relief when he saw the message he had received.

_That fucker. I'll be down there to keep him off your back. Hang in there, Ichi._

Smiling, Ichigo switched his phone off and turned to his textbook questions, his expression soon damn near mirroring Kira's as he looked at the equations they would have to work through with, as usual, no help from the teacher.

_Hurry up and get here, Grimmjow…_

Ishida rolled his eyes, seeing his friends' discomfort. Adjusting his glasses, he silently edged some of his work over, kicking the orangette in the shin again to get him to pay attention. Ichigo blinked, looking at the boy next to him in confusion before offering a faint smile of gratitude as he saw the other teens' work laid out for him. Mouthing a quiet "thank you", he picked up his pen and began writing down, the clock ticking away in time with the Math's sensei's fingers on his keyboard.

It had only been five minutes when a sudden loud knock sounded on the door, the room's occupants blinking and looking up in confusion. Aizen-sensei looked up from his laptop, his eyes narrowing. Eliciting a sigh of annoyance he got up, strolling languidly to the door and pulling it open.

Only to reveal Grimmjow standing there, his arm leaning against the doorframe.

A few scattered gasps rang out from the female students. Ichigo on the other hand felt his grin widen, his stomach seeming to drop away from inside of him. He was so overjoyed to see his English teacher that he probably would have gone up there and hugged the bastard if only he wasn't in a class full of people.

Beside him, Ishida gawked.

Aizen-sensei on the other hand narrowed his eyes, the teacher glancing coolly at the lazy form of the blue haired man.

"Jaegerjaquez-sensei, I must say this is a rather unexpected surprise. Is there any reason why you're disrupting my lesson?" He asked, his tone clearly unamused. Grimmjow flashed a grin, some of the female students moving to fan themselves with their notebooks. Ichigo snorted faintly with laughter, eyeing his sensei with amusement as cyan eyes roamed over the room. When they settled on warm brown orbs, the English teacher's smile grew.

"Yeah actually, there is. I need to borrow Kurosaki from ya." He spoke up, his rough voice slightly louder as he looked back at the man in front of him. Aizen-sensei's eyes visibly narrowed further.

"Is there any reason why? Surely it can wait until  _after_ class, Jaegerjaquez-sensei? I'm fairly certain you have another lesson right now, unless you've been misplacing your duties as a teacher." He fired back, his voice still cold. Grimmjow continued to grin, though his eyes were hard as he shot a dirty look towards the Maths teacher. He lowered his gaze to the laptop still open on the teacher's desk, Aizen's Facebook news feed staring back at him.

"Misplacin' my duties… right…" He muttered under his breath. He crossed his arms over his chest, firing another dark look at the brown haired man. "Yama-jii wants to see him. He sent me to get him. You need any more reason than that Aizen, or do you wanna take this out in the hall?" He answered, his voice pleasant yet finishing towards the end with a low warning tone.

There was a stunned silence around the classroom. Some of the class looked from Ichigo, to Grimmjow, and then Aizen-sensei. Others started whispering with excitement at the prospect of seeing two teachers brawling outside. Ichigo ignored all this, the orangette still far too elated by his teacher's presence to pay any attention.

Aizen-sensei continued to regard the man in front of him coolly, still maintaining an air of dignity even as he shot a seething glare – faint, but still visible – towards Ichigo.

"Well now. If Yamamoto-sensei requests him… Kurosaki Ichigo, you may leave. I'll see you later this afternoon. Ensure you have those questions done." He spoke, his deep tone still managing to sound as oily as ever despite being obviously affronted. Ichigo nodded, quickly making to pick up his textbooks and notebook. He stopped and lifted his head again when Grimmjow spoke up once more.

"Oh yeah, that was another thing I was gonna ask you, Aizen-sensei." He continued, raising a blue eyebrow. The Maths teacher glanced coolly at him, though the annoyance in his features was clearly apparent. Grimmjow ignored this. "Ichigo's been busy with his family movin' into their new home. If I find out that you're gonna make him do work which he didn't know he had, which is what I'm gatherin' from what you just said, then that's goin' straight in to Yama-jii filed under yer personal report. I seem to remember Urahara-sensei sayin' the same thing the last time this happened." He finished, Grimmjow's smile widening.

Aizen-sensei had frozen still, the man's eyes widening ever so slightly under his glasses. Grimmjow flashed a smug grin, nodding to Ichigo who quickly gathered his books and walked out into the hall, shooting a thankful smile to his teacher as he passed by him. Grimmjow returned the look, offering a wave to the Maths Studies teacher – a wave which soon turned into a rather humorous raising of his middle finger as the blue haired man shut the door behind them.

No sooner had the door shut had Ichigo almost collapsed to the ground in relief, the teen throwing his head back in laughter.

"I don't think I've ever been so glad to see you." He grinned as the blue haired man snorted with amusement, smiling as he helped the teen straighten himself up.

"Glad to hear it. But seriously though, thanks fer lettin' me know. I really am sorry you have to put up with that asshole." Grimmjow replied, grimacing. Ichigo waved it off.

"No, it's ok… but did you see the look on his face?!" He asked excitedly. Grimmjow elicited another bark of laughter, his wide grin back in place.

"Sure did. Goddamn I wish we had a picture of that. That'd be worth millions." He sniggered. Ichigo laughed louder, walking alongside the taller man as they moved down the corridor.

"C'mon, I'll take you home. I figure you don't really wanna stay here any longer." The teacher spoke up louder after a moment, the pair falling into a companionable silence. Ichigo's face was positively beaming, his teacher catching this and chuckling, ruffling his hand through the orangette's spiky locks. Ichigo batted the man's hand away, giving a chuckle of his own as they walked out the front doors, making their way to the parking lot.

* * *

Ichigo slumped against the couch, heaving a satisfied sigh as he closed his eyes. He had just had lunch, Grimmjow stopping off by the local takeaway to buy some food. It had saddened the teen somewhat that his sensei wouldn't be staying to eat with him as he had, as a matter of fact, just left his class entirely and gone to help Ichigo out of that compromising situation with Aizen-sensei.

He needed to get back, and it was with a quick check over of the place and a warm hug and promising that he would text later that the man had left, his car rumbling down the street some few seconds later.

Ichigo rolled over onto his back, gazing absentmindedly up at the ceiling. He didn't bother turning on the TV, nor did he even bother to get changed out of his school uniform. It was only another two hours or so until his sisters would get home, and he tried his best to ignore the fact that in those two hours, they would be receiving a rather unwelcome guest in their midst.

He was tired, barely able to stifle a yawn as he closed his eyes. He didn't even know that he had fallen asleep until he found himself dreaming of sleek sports cars, blue hair, and something along the lines of Renji cowering in fear from a pile of failed assignments.

* * *

A shove of his shoulder woke him up.

"Ow… wha' time s'it?" He grumbled, his voice slurred with sleep as the persistent shoving continued to bruise his arm. He heard what could have been a female voice, chastising him for oversleeping. He grumbled again, swatting away the arm as he tried to fall back to the pleasant dream he had been having.

A knock on his head prevented him from doing so.

"Come on Ichi-nii, hurry up! Your Maths teacher is here!" Karin's voice huffed irritably above him. At that, Ichigo blinked, his warm brown eyes opening hastily as he jolted upright on the couch. Karin jumped back a little, the sudden action startling her. She folded her arms across her chest, regaining her composure and rolling her eyes.

"Finally." She grumbled. Ichigo shook his head to clear his mind from sleep, reaching up and rubbing his eyes.

"Goddammit… already?" He groaned, his voice husked. He fixed his blurry gaze on his sister, her grey eyes widening in disbelief.

"You  _did_ know he was coming over… right?" She asked slowly. Ichigo ignored this, heaving a despondent groan as he dragged himself up, rubbing a hand through his hair.

_Fucking hell._

"Yeah… yeah I did. Wait… how did you and Yuzu get back?!" He exclaimed, now fully awake enough to realise that he had promised to pick them up from school when they had finished… only he hadn't. He span back around, gazing horrified at his sister. Karin looked like she didn't know whether to hit him over the head again or burst out laughing.

"We walked, Ichi-nii. Here, let me show you. You put one foot in front of the other—"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it, I get it." Ichigo answered, rolling his eyes as he made to walk towards the front door. Karin grinned. Ichigo's expression softened. "I'm sorry for not picking you two up." He said quietly. Karin waved it off.

"It's ok, you idiot. You were passed out when we got here so we really didn't mind. You looked exhausted." She answered, smiling. Ichigo was about to respond when a loud knocking sounded on the door. Audibly groaning he made a motion to his sister that they would continue their talk later, even as he reached out and pulled on the doorhandle.

His face was as blank as he could make it as he gazed at the form of his Maths teacher, Aizen-sensei glancing down at the expensive looking watch on his wrist.

"About as punctual in opening the door as you are to class I see, Ichigo-kun." He drawled, his deep voice sickeningly oily. Ichigo barely suppressed the urge to roll his eyes, the teen stepping back to allow the man through. Aizen-sensei wasted no second in observing the hallway before him, taking in the living room from afar as well as the nearby kitchen.

He gave a brief murmur, humming as if he had expected no less.

Ichigo was sorely tempted to kick the man out – his mere presence making his skin crawl. Walking past the brown haired male, he guided Karin towards the staircase, whispering quietly to her that she should head upstairs and finish her homework before his teacher harped on at her too. She smiled faintly in apology, nodding as she began her trek up the staircase. She stopped and exchanged a glance with her brother when the Maths teacher's voice rang out once more, the man having paused by the kitchen and inspecting the cutlery left out.

"Kitchen untidy, living room in a state of disarray - boxes still unpacked and lying around for all manner of vermin to fester in... this house is, for lack of a better word Kurosaki Ichigo, a complete shambles." He announced, sneering at the appliances as he turned his gaze back to the youth, his cold brown eyes alighting with amusement. Ichigo grit his teeth.

_Keep it together, Ichigo… just a few minutes more and hopefully he'll be gone before you do something stupid._

"Sorry to hear that. We kind of just moved in yesterday." He answered coolly, crossing his arms over his chest as he leant against the wall.

 _What the fuck is he expecting? The Emperor's palace?_ He barely bit back a snort of laughter. Somehow he didn't think that would be too far from the truth.

Aizen-sensei's lips curled into a curt smile.

"Indeed. I will be seeing to it that Yamamoto-sensei is made aware of the state of the place regardless. Now then, one can only  _hope_ that the second floor will be in much better condition than this first dismal display of uncleanliness - however that is but a fool's desire." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he turned and made his way towards the staircase, Ichigo gagging faintly on the trailing scent of the man's cologne as he did so. He shot a middle finger up at the teacher behind his back as the brunette embarked towards the second landing, Ichigo rolling his eyes and flopping back down on the couch, flicking away at the TV remote as the minutes ticked by in eager anticipation of Aizen to hurry up and get lost already.

He certainly didn't have to wait long.

He jerked up when a sharp slap to his kneecap from a ruler extending from the man's hand brought his attention back up towards Aizen's sneering face.

"Ouch!" Ichigo hissed, glaring at the teacher as he rubbed his leg. Aizen-sensei merely smirked, placing the ruler back between the folds of the pockets of his tweed jacket.

"Feet... off... the table." He enunciated slowly, his lips curling with each sound. Ichigo grit his teeth. Aizen turned around, his jacket swishing with the momentum of his strides as he approached the front door.

"Now then, thanks to my inspection of the impoverished state of this disease breeding ground that you call a house – I will be leaving now. I will also be seeing to it that Yamamoto-sensei is made aware of your negligence towards household duties... oh, and also Jaegerjaquez-sensei's unruly intervention in class earlier today." He spoke up, his tone final as he made to head towards the front door.

Ichigo felt his stomach drop.

"Why?" He asked before he could stop himself. He mentally kicked himself in the head.

Aizen-sensei slowly turned, his smirk wide.

"Because it is against school policy to have a teacher interrupt another of the staff's teaching. He's been pushing the limits of our policies for far too long. It's time he gets reminded of his position here." He replied simply.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. Aizen-sensei turned back once more to the door, Ichigo making a vague motion as if he was throwing a textbook at the man's head as he left, shutting the door behind him. The youth was swimming with anger, his mind troubled. Karin cautiously approached from the stairway, glancing first from her brother to the door, and then back to her brother again.

"Ichi-nii? Are you ok?" She asked, her voice quiet. Ichigo sighed, nodding as he ran a hand through his locks.

"Yeah… yeah 'm fine…" He replied. Karin looked doubtful.

"Is Jaegerjaquez-sensei going to be ok?" She whispered. Ichigo looked at her, smiling faintly.

"He's gonna be fine. Honestly if anyone gets yelled at by Yama-jii it's going to be Aizen. Grimmjow's not the only teacher to complain about him after all." He chuckled. Karin's expression softened, the girl seeming to accept this. Still glancing with concern at her brother, she regarded him for a moment more.

Ichigo caught this, looking at her and offering a wider smile.

"I'm fine, Karin. Yama-jii will understand that we can't have everything all perfect and put away the moment we move in. To be honest it was a dick move of his to send someone over the second we settle in but he's old fashioned that way I guess. Don't worry about it. I'll call you and Yuzu down when dinner's ready. It's my turn to cook tonight, right?" He asked. Karin's smile grew, the girl laughing as she raced back up the stairs.

"Yep – don't burn anything!" She called out. Ichigo scoffed, rolling his eyes as he walked into the kitchen. He continued to smile, hearing the trailing footsteps of his sister as she disappeared onto the second floor. Remaining there for a while longer, chewing his lip in thought, Ichigo reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone again.

He knew that he was right by what he had said to Karin, yet it would help to put his mind at ease if he alerted Grimmjow about what Aizen had said. He began typing out the new text message.

_Aizen came over. He was a royal dick about everything, though that's to be expected. He said he'd be telling Yama-jii about you "breaking school rules" and interrupting his class today._

He went to turn the kettle on as he waited for a response. It was another minute later until his phone beeped. Sighing, he opened the new message.

_Wouldn't be the first time, don't worry yourself over it Ichi. I've had more run-ins with him than Kurotsuchi's had with the school's insurance. Did you throw that textbook at him?_

Ichigo couldn't help but laugh quietly.

_Does imaginary textbook count?_

He sent it off. He received another message a short while later.

_Not really – but it'll do. That aside though, in a couple of weeks' time the boys and I are having our basketball match. I can pick you up after school's finished and we can head out there :)_

By now Ichigo's smile was stretching across his face, the teen feeling a sudden surge of excitement rush through him.

_Can't wait! I'll see you in a few weeks then, Grimm._

He guffawed loudly when he saw the next text.

_I was all set to call you a cheeky bastard again then, you cheeky bastard._

Rolling his eyes Ichigo sent off his last message.

_Cheers sensei._

Still chuckling he put his phone back in his pocket, the teen's brows furrowing as he glanced at the cupboards, trying to decide what to make for dinner tonight.


	10. On Opposite Teams

It had been so long since he had walked to school with his friends last that if he was perfectly honest with himself, Ichigo had almost all but forgotten what the joys of early morning company felt like.

He felt refreshed, his smile the widest it had ever been as he took in the sights of the new neighbourhood drives, the orangette making a mental promise to take Yuzu and Karin for a walk with him over the course of the upcoming weekend so they could fully explore their new surroundings.

He was focusing on the vast greenery and tidy housing along either side of the street as he listened to the conversations of both Keigo and Orihime, the pair having caught up to the teen when he was exiting his house and beginning his walk into school. He had slept through his alarm that morning, his sisters having let themselves out of the house to make their own way to their classes.

They had left a note for him in the kitchen explaining that he needed to get his lazy behind into gear if he wanted to actually pass his last year of school. Chuckling, the teen grinned to himself as he continued to walk along, reliving the memory fondly.

A loud outburst from Keigo brought his attention back to the present.

"So that's why I'm late this morning. Don't uh… don't tell the teachers, ok?" The brown haired boy grimaced faintly, his normally loud voice now lowered to a mere whisper. Orihime giggled.

"Asano-san, I really don't think you'll get told off for being late because you were finishing your homework. I'm late because of the same thing." The red haired girl replied, her tone cheerful. Keigo blinked, looking incredulously at her.

"You too, Inoue-san? What assignments were you finishing off?" He asked. Orihime paused momentarily, tapping her finger against her chin in thought as she gazed ahead.

"All of them. I've been very behind lately and I've been so distracted with finishing off Urahara-sensei's Physics practical as well." She sighed. By now Keigo had stopped walking, his jaw dropping.

"I-Inoue-san… we had Physics last semester…" He stammered. Orihime blinked.

"We did? … Oh my…" She chewed her lip, wringing her hands nervously. Ichigo also stopped walking, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"You really need to get yourself sorted out, Inoue." He spoke up, his expression just as stunned as Keigo's. Orihime stammered faintly at his words, the redhead nodding quickly and giving an apologetic smile.

"I really do, don't I?" She laughed somewhat awkwardly. Ichigo shared a sidewards grimace with Keigo, the two boys eliciting somewhat forced chuckles. Yells and cries from up ahead drew the trio's attention towards some noisy students who had gathered just before the school gates, the group of boys calling out to each other and laughing.

Glancing down at his phone, Keigo let out an audible groan.

"Goddamn. There's five minutes until class starts." He muttered. Ichigo and Orihime exchanged glances.

"What lessons do you have today, Keigo?" Ichigo asked. Keigo looked up at the orangette, his expression despairing.

"PE with Muguruma-sensei... he's scary... followed by Music with Hirako-sensei, though he's cool… then English and then… oh fuck! Chem with Kurotsuchi! He's a freaking nightmare!" The brown haired boy wailed. Ichigo reached out and clapped his hand reassuringly against the youth's shoulder.

"Cheer up Keigo." He answered, smiling. "It's not the end of the world. Though it will be if you have your phone out in English again." He continued, his tone jovial. Keigo glared at him, glancing gloomily back down at the ground.

"Yeah, yeah. Very funny." He muttered under his breath. Ichigo grinned, resuming his pace as he and his friends continued on towards the front entrance of Karakura High. His brows furrowed, Ichigo going over his timetable for the morning in his head.

Today was Wednesday, which meant that he had PE up first. He had no lesson between then until English, so he could use that time to work on some Maths homework – as much as it made him sick to his stomach to do so. Seeing as he only had those two lessons today, he felt a wave of excitement flood through him at the prospect that he would be on his way for that basketball match with Grimmjow and his friends after school - his teacher having sent him a text last night saying today would be the best day to go out there. He'd been looking forward to it for the past two weeks since he'd first heard about the offer from his sensei - Ichigo even losing sleep over it some nights. Who were Grimmjow's friends? Were they anything like him? He was really keen to find out, because the way his English teacher kept on going on about them it was like they were an extended part of his family. And that made Ichigo feel warm to the very core. He wasn't spared any more time to dwell on this uplifting notion though however, as a call behind him drew his attention.

"Good morning you three!"

He blinked, a wide smile forming on his lips as he, Orihime and Keigo turned, simultaneous smiles forming on the other two's mouths as they observed the white haired counsellor approaching them, Ukitake-sensei's smile jovial and his brown eyes soft.

"Ukitake-sensei! How are you this morning?" Orihime waved back. Ukitake-sensei laughed, the sound pleasant as he drew up alongside them.

"I'm doing very well, thank you Inoue-san!" He answered. "Yourself?"

Orihime giggled.

"A bit disorganised, but I'll get there." She smiled. Ukitake-sensei nodded in understanding.

"You definitely will, don't worry." He replied warmly. He looked at Keigo and Ichigo.

"How about you boys?" He asked. The two teens grinned.

"Pretty much the same." Keigo replied. Ichigo laughed sheepishly, nodding. Ukitake-sensei chuckled.

"The best bit of advice I can offer is if you can do something else – do it. But make sure that you have the confidence, determination and willpower to keep coming back to finish off what it was that had you so stumped in the first place." He smiled. Ichigo, Orihime and Keigo laughed, exchanging fond glances.

Ukitake-sensei looked at Ichigo, smiling wider.

"And with that word of wisdom out of the way, Yamamoto-sensei wanted me to speak to you this morning, Ichigo-kun." He spoke up. Ichigo's brows furrowed in confusion. Keigo and Orihime looked at him.

"What for?" The orangette asked.

"Just to give you some updated information on the care program you're undertaking currently. I've already sent off a message to Muguruma-sensei, so he knows you won't be able to make it to class this morning." The white haired man replied. Ichigo shrugged, hoisting his bag behind his shoulders a little more as he glanced at his friends.

"I'll see you later." He spoke up as he turned around, making to follow the counsellor. He received waves and nods from his friends, Keigo and Orihime also waving to Ukitake-sensei as he smiled back at them. They departed, leaving the two alone in the corridor. The counsellor turned his attention back to Ichigo, motioning for the youth to follow him, the two lapsing into an easy conversation as they trekked down the hall as the bell went off.

* * *

"Have a seat there, Ichigo-kun. This won't take long but I don't want you standing there and being all uncomfortable." Ukitake-sensei smiled as he settled himself in the seat behind his desk, Ichigo chuckling as he walked over to the chair offered to him.

He sighed as he sat down, resting his bag on the floor beside the chair leg, the youth gazing around the brightly lit office decorated with coloured artworks by some of the students, and photos of the white haired counsellor with friends and family. It was a very roomy and inviting office, and Ichigo found it suited the kind-hearted man's uplifting and gentle persona perfectly. Looking back at the man in front of him, the sensei opening up a drawer underneath his desk and muttering out amusing quips at how messy he was becoming lately, Ichigo found himself wishing yet again that the counsellor didn't have to leave school this year.

The talk with the students lately was that everyone was planning a farewell party for him at the upcoming graduation – and Ichigo had every intent to bring something along. He hadn't decided on  _what_ exactly to get Ukitake-sensei as a gift, but he supposed that he could ask Grimmjow a couple of things. The two were both teachers here after all.

A triumphant "aha!" brought Ichigo's attention back to the older man, Ukitakei-sensei smiling warmly as he sat back up and placed some papers down upon the desk. He lifted his head, smiling at the orangette.

"Finally found them. Goodness I've become so untidy in my old age." He chuckled. "Can I get you a drink of tea or anything before we begin, Ichigo-kun?" He asked. Ichigo smiled, shaking his head.

"No thank you, Ukitake-sensei." He politely declined. The counsellor shrugged, still smiling.

"Suit yourself dear boy. Now then! First of all, how are things going with your new accommodation?" The man inquired, leaning back in his chair and lacing his hands together atop the oak desk.

Ichigo considered this for a moment.

"So far, so good. Yuzu and Karin are really liking the new place. They've been going out and exploring around a bit when they get back from school. I haven't actually had a proper look around the area yet but I'm hoping to do that soon." He replied. Ukitake-sensei nodded.

"There's some really good walking trails and parks about five minutes away, if I remember correctly." The counsellor spoke up. Ichigo smiled. The white haired man chuckled, picking up a brochure and opening it, turning it around so Ichigo could have a look. The orangette leant forwards in his chair, his eyes sweeping over the information of the school's care policy.

"This has been freshly updated as I said, which is why Yamamoto-sensei requested me see you this morning. As you can see there's a subsidiary cost for living in the household we've given you, but you don't have to worry about paying any of that. The school is taking care of everything major and minor as both you and your sisters are unemployed."

Ichigo nodded as he listened to the counsellor. He lifted his head.

"What about when I graduate?" He asked. Ukitake-sensei considered this.

"Well originally when the program first started, graduation meant that the owner of the house would have to relocate elsewhere as they were no longer part of the school education system. However this year that's changed. You're free to stay there with your sisters but you'll have to gradually pay off the loan we lent you. But…" Here the teacher paused, his brown eyes seeming to twinkle. Ichigo's brows furrowed in confusion.

"But what?" He asked. He was answered with another chuckle.

"It seems that our resident author and English critic extraordinaire has talked the principal into allowing him to pay for all the expenses himself. I don't know how he does it. Jaegerjaquez-sensei was quite adamant in the staff room this morning to him." Ukitake-sensei laughed.

Ichigo blinked, the youth unaware that his smile had widened so much on his face until he actually felt his cheeks hurting a little.

"That sounds about right." He grinned. The older man grinned back, watching Ichigo giving the brochure another quick once-over before sliding it into his bag.

"Do you have Jaegerjaquez-sensei for any lessons today, Ichigo-kun?" The counsellor asked as soon as Ichigo had returned his attention to the white haired man. The youth nodded. Ukitake-sensei smiled. "Ah, good. I forgot to thank him properly this morning for that. Can you please tell him that this old man here wants to treat him to an old fashioned cup of coffee and catch-up talk in the staff room after morning lessons finish?"

Ichigo laughed.

"Sure thing." He replied. Ukitake-sensei's smile was bright and jovial in response.

"Thank you for that, my boy."

Ichigo continued to grin, though his smile soon faded. His brows furrowed into a look of contemplation.

"Ukitake-sensei…" He spoke up. The counsellor blinked.

"What's wrong, Ichigo-kun?" He asked. Ichigo sighed, lifting his warm brown gaze to meet the teacher's stare.

"A couple of weeks ago when Aizen-sensei came over to look at the house… he said he was going to complain to Yama-jii about Gr—uh… Jaegerjaquez-sensei. He didn't do that… did he?" He asked quietly. The counsellor regarded him carefully for a moment longer before smiling softly.

"No, he didn't as a matter of fact. The funny thing was, Urahara-sensei actually stopped by the principal's office to submit another complaint about Aizen-sensei, so if anyone is called into a meeting with the headmaster, it's your Maths teacher and not the other way around." The white haired man replied. Ichigo felt his brows raise higher.

"Thank god." He muttered before he could stop himself. His eyes widened, the teen stammering a little when he caught the amused expression in the counsellor's eyes. "I… I mean, uh—"

He was cut off by friendly laughter, Ukitake-sensei waving it off as he leant back further in his chair.

"Relax, Ichigo-kun. Believe me, you're not the only one around here who thinks Aizen-sensei needs to pull his weight a little more. In fact I think approximately ninety per cent of students and teachers here alike think the same thing." He continued to laugh. Ichigo smiled sheepishly, shifting nervously in his chair. The sensei's expression continued to remain amused.

"Now then, just a few more things before you go, Ichigo-kun. It's been ages since you and I have had a good chat and it's obligatory for you to tell me what's been going on lately." Ukitake-sensei spoke up, his grin widening.

Ichigo laughed as he settled back further in his chair, a sense of contentment falling over him as the morning drew on, the time ticking away as they resumed their pleasant conversation.

* * *

He didn't know why, but he found that he couldn't sit still during English.

As he gazed out the window, waiting for Grimmjow to finish writing down the notes for the class to copy on the blackboard, Ichigo was struggling within himself to calm down. His stomach was flipping with excitement for the basketball match after school finished, and truth be told it was enough to put a rather stupid smile on his face.

Apparently he wasn't doing a very good job of hiding it either as Rukia had shot a questioning glare at him on more than one occasion, and even Grimmjow had looked up at the teen from the front of the class and raised a blue eyebrow.

Ichigo had just shrugged his shoulders, the sensei rolling his eyes and chuckling quietly to himself as he turned back to his work.

A piece of paper getting thrown completely out of nowhere halfway through the class and landing neatly on his desk after hitting him lightly in the arm drew Ichigo's attention from his work, the teen scowling and glancing around to try and find whoever it was who decided that was funny. He stopped glaring when he saw Keigo motion frantically to him, waving his hands like an idiot and mouthing out to him to open the crumpled note.

Feeling entirely bemused Ichigo did so, his frown quickly morphing into a large grin when he saw what his friend had written down.

_You were so lucky you weren't in PE this morning. Muguruma made us do TEN laps of the oval just because someone wasn't wearing their PE uniform._

Ichigo's smirk was positively wicked as he penned out his response, crumpling the paper back up and throwing it back to the brown haired boy. Keigo caught it and opened it after glancing up to check to see if the teacher had noticed. Satisfied he hadn't, Keigo's eyes eagerly scanned the paper before a thoroughly unimpressed expression fell over his face. He slowly turned his head to face Ichigo near the back row, an eyebrow raised as if to say " _really_?"

Ichigo stifled his sniggers with his hand. He merely shrugged back, his grin widening when Keigo scowled back at the "it was you, wasn't it?" Ichigo had written under his previous message.

The brunet's hand flew across the paper as he scribbled out another reply, re-crumpling the note and chucking it back over the heads of the by now very annoyed class, not really caring if it went in the right direction or not. Scattered gasps rang out as it was caught before it hit one of the girls in the middle row in the head, Grimmjow sighing as he unrolled the paper and read over the boy's notes. The class fell silent, Ichigo and Keigo freezing and sharing uncertain glances as they waited, unsure as to what the sensei's reaction would be. A blue eyebrow rose, and a slow grin spread across Grimmjow's lips.

Ichigo snorted quietly to himself, Keigo on the other hand looking like he was just about to have a heart attack.

Waving the paper lazily around in his hand, the teacher's blue eyes swept from Keigo to Ichigo and then back to Keigo again. Ichigo tried to look as innocent as possible, whilst Keigo tried to disappear under his desk as if in the hopes a hole would open up underneath him so he could somehow escape. By now the rest of the students had erupted into low hushed whispers.

"I dunno if I'd wanna see Kurosaki have a football shoved up his ass, but maybe I can ask Muguruma to try that out on ya if you forget to bring yer proper uniform again, Asano." Grimmjow spoke up cheerily, Keigo's look of horror increasing tenfold as the teen went bright red in the face. Ichigo almost choked on his water as he went to drink from his water bottle, Rukia sniggering along with the rest of the class as she gently thumped the orangette on the back. Fixing a pointed gaze, his grin almost turning unpleasant as he looked back at Keigo, Grimmjow's expression clearly indicated that the teen had only brought this on himself. Turning around and throwing his hand back a little, the teacher sent the paper sailing cleanly into the bin by the door, smiling in satisfaction as it went in. Ichigo managed to stop coughing and rolled his eyes, knowing that his teacher was just showing off. He wouldn't be so smug by the end of the day - Ichigo would certainly prove his sensei a thing or two.

Pumping his fist when the class cheered him on, Grimmjow chuckled and grinned again as he walked back to the front, finishing off the last of the notes on their upcoming free-choice essays. Ichigo still felt mildly embarrassed by his teacher reading out their conversation aloud like that, but honestly it was too worth it seeing Keigo's face to even worry about it. Managing to get some water down without spilling it all over himself, the teen resumed his work — already attempting to plan what he would write his essay on. He hadn't fully decided yet, but he reckoned he could come up with something over the course of the weekend.

Twenty minutes later saw the end of the lesson, Grimmjow gaining everyone's attention again by looking up at the back of the classroom to eye the clock and then placing the chalk he was using down on the desk, seating himself atop the table in front and gazing around at the students.

"Ok, so you all know yer homework, yeah? Pretty straightforward tonight. Just read page five hundred of yer textbook and think of ideas fer yer essay an' that'll be all. I have the rest of yer narratives all marked as well so I'll hand them out to you next class. The bell's about to go everyone, so get outta here and enjoy the rest of yer day." The teacher spoke up, his rough voice filling the room and soon getting drowned out by the loud scraping of chairs against the floor and students' chattering as the class was dismissed.

He shuffled his papers on his desk, Grimmjow working on piling his books in front of him as he made to stand up, nodding and returning goodbyes to some of the students as they waved to him when they passed by. Ichigo rose from his seat, waiting for the rabble of kids to leave so he could make his way over to his sensei.

Hoisting his bag on his shoulder, he waved to his friends, indicating to them that he would call them later. They exchanged glances, nodding and smiling back before leaving and exiting into the corridor. The youth's smile was wide as he looked at his sensei, Grimmjow glancing up and offering a wide grin of his own as he grabbed a hold of his textbooks.

"You all ready?" Grimmjow asked. Ichigo nodded, gripping his bag tighter as he made to follow the blue haired man, Grimmjow already making to walk out, pausing to yawn a little as he did so.

"Good. I shouldn't be too long after lunch finishes, so I think I can get there around... uhh... one-thirty? The courts aren't too far away from your place, so it's not like we'll be out too late." The English teacher grunted out as he stood by the door, waiting for the orangette to catch up. He rose a blue eyebrow at the look on the teen's face. "What is it?" He asked.

Ichigo regarded him carefully.

"Are you ok, Grimmjow?" He asked. The teacher blinked.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be, Ichi?" He replied, looking confused. Ichigo sighed, shaking his head.

"No reason. You just looked really tired and out of it for a minute." He replied, arching an eyebrow. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, reaching out and resting his hand on the youth's shoulder as he guided him out of the classroom and into the corridor.

"I'm fine Ichi. You have any idea how long it takes to go through those narratives? Jesus fuck it kept me up all night." He answered, his wild grin back in place as he closed the door behind them. Ichigo looked up at the blue haired man, laughing with relief.

"Alright then… you better snap out of it though when we get down there. Otherwise I'll probably have to chuck a basketball at your head or something." The teen spoke up, his tone jovial. Grimmjow snorted a laugh, his smile widening as the pair continued on down the bustling corridors past moving herds of students.

"You can try, but I have pretty damn good reflexes Kurosaki." The older man retorted, his eyes glinting with mischief. Ichigo scoffed.

"Sure, sure. Whatever. Oh that reminds me – Ukitake-sensei wanted me to tell you that he wants to treat you to staff room coffee as a thanks for getting Yama-jii to allow you to pay for my loan." The youth added. At this, Grimmjow's smile widened further as he and Ichigo walked down the stairs towards the first floor.

"Did he now? That's pretty decent of him. Thanks Ichi." He replied. Ichigo laughed again.

"I should be the one thanking you. You didn't have to do any of that and… well… I'm really grateful. I mean it." He smiled. Grimmjow looked at him, his expression softening as he continued to grin.

"Don't worry about it Ichi. Yer more than welcome." He replied. "You just worry about doing well in school and preparing for graduation, and I'll worry about payin' for all this shit." He chuckled. Ichigo laughed harder, rolling his eyes and punching Grimmjow in the arm, the blue haired man barking out a laugh as he headed towards the staff room - Ichigo waving goodbye and smiling brightly as he made his own route for home to prepare for the afternoon.

* * *

He didn't even manage to get one foot in the door before he was met with a brief flash of blond and something hard walking right into him. Grunts and cusses falling from their lips, Grimmjow looked thoroughly unimpressed as he rubbed his chest, Hirako meanwhile gripping his forehead and blinking the spots out of his vision.

"Ow... che, the fuck was that for, Grimm?" The blond whined. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, walking into the staff room with the blond following alongside him, casting an unamused glare at his friend.

"Could say the same fer you, Hirako. The hell man? You don't just go walkin' right into people like that." He rose an eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest as he sat himself down on the couch. Hirako muttered some choice words under his breath, remaining standing as he rubbed his forehead again.

"Well I  _was_ tryin' to leave the bloody room to get to my next class wasn't I? At least give someone a warning before you just barge right on in here like you own the place." He grumbled. Grimmjow rose an eyebrow, Hirako falling silent when he saw the slow grin creeping its way onto his friend's lips. "What?" He asked suspiciously.

"This next class of yours..." Grimmjow merely replied, his eyebrow still raised. It took Hirako a moment until he finally realised what his friend meant.

"AW SHIT I'M LATE!" He cried out, gripping his hair and quickly spinning around and almost knocking over a very flustered looking Szayel as the Biology teacher made to enter the staff room. Shooting an annoyed glare at the Music sensei when all he uttered was a hurried "fuck I'm sorry!", Szayel rolled his eyes and shook his head as he walked in. Seeing the English sensei already inside he sighed and sat down next to him, still glaring at Hirako's retreating form as if he had some sort of disease.

"The hell's up with him this morning?" He asked. Grimmjow chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.

"Dunno. Oh you're lucky though. You managed to avoid him by  _this_ much," he answered, grinning as he indicated a centimetre's length with his fingertips. "I actually collided right into 'im. My chest still fuckin' hurts."

Szayel's lips twitched into a grin at this, and the Biology sensei chuckled as he leant back further against the couch.

"I feel  _so_ sorry for you..." He teased. Grimmjow sighed, punching his friend in the arm and drawing laughter from the younger man in response.

The staff room door opened again, and the noise gradually increased as more teachers pooled in to have their morning break, Grimmjow glancing up every so often to see if he could catch sight of the counsellor in-between his conversation with his pink haired friend.

"Who are you looking for?" Szayel spoke up after a moment, having noticed the way Grimmjow's eyes had been trailing over the heads of more teaching staff when the door opened again. Grimmjow blinked, turning back to meet quizzical amber eyes and he shrugged it off.

"Ukitake-san. He said he wanted to talk to me durin' break." He replied. Szayel nodded, also turning to watch the new waves of teachers entering before sighing and rubbing his forehead with his palm.

"You ok?" Grimmjow asked. The younger man nodded.

"Yeah I'm just getting a bit of a headache. Urahara came in to my class this morning to ask for help with one of the projectors in his lab because it wasn't working properly. Then to top it all off Kurotsuchi barged in half-way through and started accusing us about god knows what. He was ranting about... oh, what was it? Something about one of us rummaging through his office and stealing his teacher files? I don't know. I wasn't paying attention." He grumbled wearily. Grimmjow blinked.

"What the actual fuck." He blurted out. Szayel managed a tired smile, lifting his head back up and sighing as he nodded.

"Believe me, we said the same thing. On a scale of one to ten, how mentally unhinged do you think he is?" He asked, his expression serious. Grimmjow chuckled faintly.

"Can't be worse than you." He grinned. Szayel groaned, cuffing the blue haired man upside the head and making Grimmjow bite back a fresh wave of sniggers.

"Please, there's a method to my madness." He retorted. Grimmjow smiled, leaning his head back against the couch pillows and closing his eyes.

"Granz, yer about a ten on that scale, an' Kurotsuchi is pushin' up into the hundreds. That make ya happy now?" He asked. Szayel scoffed.

"Marginally. Though I'd rather not be on that scale at all." He replied. Grimmjow shrugged.

"'S what ya get fer bein' a scientist." He grinned wider when he heard a sigh escape the younger man, and he felt rather satisfied in knowing that he had won that round - if only for today.

"Oi, Granz!"

Szayel blinked as someone called out his name, and both he and Grimmjow looked up to see the PE teacher approaching.

"Yes?" Szayel rose an eyebrow at the grey haired man.

"Just got a call from Yama-jii for you. He wants you back up in the labs. Apparently there was an accident in the chem department and he needs all science teachers up there." Muguruma grunted out before turning around to walk back to the kitchen. Szayel groaned louder, burying his head in his hands before standing up.

" _For fuck's sake._ " He hissed out. Grimmjow looked impressed, flashing a wide grin at his friend as he stormed off.

"Have fun!" He chuckled. His chuckles turned into a loud bark of laughter when the younger man gave him the finger before storming off down the corridor. Shaking his head and snickering for a few more minutes, Grimmjow's attention was diverted when he saw the counsellor make his way inside, giving an apologetic smile as he walked up to the blue haired man.

"There you are Grimmjow-kun! Sorry for being so late, had to deal with a few last minute kids." The counsellor panted out – evidently having raced towards the staff room in his haste. Grimmjow waved it off, motioning for the older man to sit down next to him.

"It's fine Ukitake-san. Jesus you look like you've been through hell an' back." He noted. The white haired man laughed, nodding.

"Feels like it." He smiled. His brown eyes lit up, and Grimmjow felt his smile widening at the next words to pass the counsellor's lips.

"Ah yes, I promised you some coffee!"

* * *

As if waiting for his teacher to arrive that afternoon wasn't enough, he was finding it even harder to curb his excitement now at having finally being picked up, Ichigo positively bouncing in the seat and almost clawing to get out like an excitable child as they drew up at the local basketball court, the sun glistening off the roofs of the neighbourhood houses as the car purred to a halt in the parking lot.

Grimmjow looked at the teen and laughed, eyeing the youth fondly as he opened the door and got out, motioning for Ichigo to do the same. The teen gladly complied, sliding out of his seat and stretching his arms above his head as he gazed around them.

Grimmjow bit back a grin as he watched the teen's eyes glancing from the treetops to the basketball court, and then to the four other cars already parked nearby.

"Do those cars belong to your friends?" Ichigo pointed to the parked vehicles alongside Grimmjow's. The blue haired man nodded, a smile forming on his lips as he opened up the boot of his own car, reaching in and pulling out a sports bag.

"Sure do. C'mon they should all be in there waitin' for us. Well... most of 'em anyway. Di Roy's never on time for anythin' the lazy bastard." The sensei grinned. Ichigo chuckled, his face lit up with excitement as he followed the blue haired man, the pair walking across the gravel to reach the entrance to the courts.

"I brought along a spare jersey for you in case you didn't have one. I had one lyin' around from my teenage years so it should fit you." Grimmjow continued as the pair crossed the cement ground of the court, the goal posts rising high alongside them. Ichigo nodded, his grin probably looking somewhat stupid right now, but he didn't care.

"Thanks sensei, that's really considerate of you." He spoke up, his tone teasing. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, playfully shoving his elbow against the teen's side, Ichigo snorting with laughter and batting the man's arm away.

"Shut up, you." The teacher retorted, his expression thoroughly amused.

Ichigo grinned wider, feeling accomplished with himself as the pair edged closer towards the change rooms which were located at the opposite end of the courts. The breeze was cool, the temperature just warm enough to make for a pleasant afternoon match. The closer they got to the looming brick building, Ichigo could make out sounds of laughter and conversation from within. He glanced back up at his teacher. Grimmjow chuckled, reaching out and enclosing his hand around the door handle as they drew up.

"Yeah that's them alright. You won't find a louder bunch o' misfits outside of a classroom anywhere else. Goddamn it's enough to wake the fucking dead with all the noise they make." He sniggered, pulling the door back to allow Ichigo to pass inside. The teen snorted, walking in and following the taller man as he motioned for the youth to follow him.

Sure enough the raucous laughter and guffaws sounding from the changing rooms was about as loud as the school's auditorium on assembly days, but it did nothing to deter Ichigo from the excitement he was feeling the moment he and his teacher stepped into the medium-sized room and into the fray of the four already assembled.

Looking up from their various states of undress, multiple heads lifted – Grimmjow and Ichigo immediately almost having their eardrums blown out by the calls and jeers of the group of men seated down.

"Yo, Jaegerjaquez! Bout fuckin' time, ya lazy asshole!" One of them called out – he appeared to be the youngest, his hair ash blond and his face ridden with pockmarks. His teeth were pointed slightly from obvious disregard to dental hygiene, but his mouth was set into a wide grin regardless as he gazed at the blue haired man. Grimmjow scoffed, sticking his middle finger up at him.

"Shove it Di Roy. Can say the same fer you." He retorted. Di Roy sniggered, turning back to tying up the laces on his shoes.

Ichigo laughed quietly, his eyes gazing over the forms of his teacher's friends. Grimmjow glanced down at him as he placed a hand on the teen's shoulder. He turned his attention back to the others.

"Ok you bastards, listen up. I'd like you all to meet Ichigo – he's a damn good student of mine an' he's gonna hang out with us today." The English sensei began, grinning widely. His friends all looked at the orangette, giving a unanimous cheer towards him. Ichigo couldn't help but smile back, a chuckle forming in his throat as he nodded to them.

"You gonna introduce us properly or what?" One of the group spoke up – a tall rather beefy man with streaked black and red hair. Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"I was gettin' to that. Ichi, that asshole's Edrad Liones. He's a car retailer and also the top-notch bloke who I got my sweet hunk o' metal off of." He spoke up, pointing to the man who had spoken. Edrad folded his arms over his chest.

"Nice to meet ya, kid. Yo, how's that baby I sold ya goin', Grimm?" He asked as he looked back at Grimmjow. The man in question grinned satisfactorily.

"Like a fuckin' dream, 'Drad." He replied. Edrad smiled in appreciation of this. Grimmjow chuckled, turning Ichigo's attention to the ash blond man. "That's Di Roy, as you already know. The one and only ramen extraordinaire. 'Bout the only thing he's useful for."

Di Roy grinned, calling out a loud "and proud of it!" before giving a salute to the youth. Ichigo laughed.

Grimmjow then extended his hand to the figures of a tall Asian man in the back by the coat hooks, where he was talking to a rounded and portly figure of a man with a bob cut.

"The smart lookin' one's Shawlong Koufang. He's a doc an' one o' the best in town." He paused as the Asian man swept his gaze to Ichigo, smiling at him. Ichigo returned the look. Grimmjow's hand then extended to point to the other man. "An' that's Nakeem Grindina. Works in an insurance company. I don't trust the bastard, but he makes good money so that's gotta count fer somethin' I s'pose."

The man called Nakeem rose an eyebrow at Grimmjow's explanation.

"And yet you always come to me when you have questions about the safety of that 'sweet hunk of metal' you have." He replied back calmly. Grimmjow grimaced slightly.

"Can we overlook that?" He asked. Nakeem scoffed, turning back to resume his conversation with Shawlong. Ichigo blinked at his teacher, Grimmjow rubbing the back of his neck and muttering quietly under his breath.

"What? It's an expensive car, come on…" He grumbled. Ichigo sighed, pressing his palm to his forehead. Grimmjow elicited a bark of laughter, nudging the youth in the shoulder and turning his attention to the figure of a tall flaxen blond man with waist-length hair just turning to enter the room from the opposite door. "An' that over there is Yylfordt Granz. He's a physiotherapist an' Szayel's older brother."

Ichigo blinked, gazing at the lightly tanned man as he approached, the blond rolling his burgundy eyes at his introduction.

"Way to put that out there." He spoke up, his voice smooth as he clapped his hand against Grimmjow's. The blue haired man snorted with laughter, grinning as he returned the gesture.

"Yeah well its true no matter how much ya hate it." The sensei quipped back. Yylfordt laughed, turning his attention to Ichigo, reaching out his hand and clasping it against the teens' in a quick handshake. His lips pulled apart into a pleasant smile as he did so.

"You're Granz-sensei's brother?" Ichigo spoke up, smiling in return as the taller man removed his hand. Now that he studied him closely, he could see the strong resemblance between the blond and his pink haired Biology teacher and vaguely wondered if they were twins. He was answered with a nod.

"'Granz-sensei' is it? Normally I just call him Szayel or 'pain-in-the-ass', but yeah I suppose sensei is good too." Yylfordt chuckled. Ichigo raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching into a grin of their own. Yylfordt's smile widened as he leant against the wall.

"Nah, he's actually a good little bro. I love him to bits but he's very single minded about a lot of things." The blond man shrugged. Ichigo laughed.

"You think so? He's always come across as really nice in class." He answered. Yylfordt moved to tie his hair back, pulling away from the wall when he had finished.

"That's what he'd have you believe. Grimm's told us about you and your family – speaking as an older brother to an older brother here, you know what trouble younger siblings can get up to, right?" The blond quipped, raising a fine eyebrow. The orangette smiled, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"Point taken." He replied sheepishly. He received a laugh and a knowing look from the taller man, Ichigo grinning and turning his attention back to Grimmjow as his teacher barked another laugh, throwing the spare jersey at the youth.

"Alright enough chat you two. Plenty o' time to have a talk about yer feelings and yer family issues later. Right now we have a match to play or I'm going home." The blue haired man spoke up. He received two scoffs in response. The remaining four of the group seemed to hear this, their voices becoming louder as they rose from their chairs and headed outside, giving the English teacher various claps on the back and calling out to him that they would start getting ready while they waited. He nodded back, Ichigo doing the same as he returned waves and high fives with Di Roy and Edrad, Yylfordt also clapping him on the back as he smiled and followed the others.

Ichigo blinked, his ears left ringing in the sudden silence of the changing rooms, the teen watching the figures of his teacher's friends racing outside and acting almost like schoolkids as they began brawling and casually passing the basketball back between each other. Grimmjow snorted a laugh when he lifted his head, watching the short form of Di Roy attempt to do a slam dunk at the highest goal post and end up falling not so gracefully on his behind.

"Yeah, yeah I meant to do that!" He could be heard saying, though it looked like tears of pain were beginning to form in his eyes. "Aww shit who am I kidding. My ass hurts."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, sighing as he resumed grabbing his sports clothes.

"Bunch o' fuckin' idiots, but they're great." He mused, his lips widening into a large grin as he glanced back down at Ichigo. The orange haired teen laughed, clutching his jersey in his hands and turning around to find a spare cubicle to change in.

"They really do remind me a lot of you." He called out as he closed the door, undoing the buttons on his school shirt and already working on removing his top, sliding the jersey over his head and smiling as the loose fabric fit snugly around his lithe form. He heard a bark of laughter from his teacher.

"That had better not be an insult, Kurosaki." He sniggered.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, even though he knew that his teacher couldn't see him.

"It definitely was, sensei."

Another bark of laughter was his response.

"Cheeky bastard." Grimmjow grunted out. Ichigo's smile was satisfied as he finished getting changed some few minutes later, turning the lock on the door and exiting the cubicle. He threw his clothes onto the bench, not really knowing where to keep them otherwise. He looked up and saw his teacher was already waiting for him, the youth's brows rising faintly at the muscled forearms of the tanned man, his sports clothes hugging his clearly well-defined physique rather comfortably. He bit back the roiling feeling in his gut, the painful reminder of that night after the convention, and he forced himself to clear his mind as he locked his eyes with cyan blue. Grimmjow had raised an eyebrow, clearly amused with Ichigo's hesitancy to hurry up and get his ass outside.

"Well? You gonna head out there or stand there staring all day?" The man's rough voice cut through to the teen's mind, Ichigo dragging himself to the present and rolling his eyes as he scoffed, already making to walk out, his teacher following behind him.

"I see that jersey fits ya. That's good – I didn't have a spare with me." The blue haired man grimaced apologetically as he strode alongside the youth, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at the garment the teen was wearing. Ichigo shook his head, smiling.

"I probably would have played even if it didn't fit. This is an opportunity I don't wanna pass up." The orangette replied. Grimmjow looked down at him.

"Oh? Why's that?" He grinned. Ichigo smiled satisfactorily.

"'Cos then I get to brag to my friends that I still ended up beating your ass in basketball regardless." He answered, shrugging his shoulders. Grimmjow snorted a laugh.

"In yer dreams, Kurosaki. I'm the king of the courts an' don't you forget it." He smiled proudly. Ichigo didn't say anything, instead he just nodded, his warm brown eyes glinting with a mischievous air. The taller man caught this, Grimmjow frowning slightly as his expression became wary.

"What are you playing at…?" He asked cautiously. Ichigo grinned.

"Nothing, sensei. I was just thinking." He answered cheerily. Grimmjow stopped walking.

"Thinkin' about  _what_?" He pressed, crossing his arms over his chest. He ignored the jeers and calls of his friends, Di Roy yelling at the top of his lungs for the two to hurry up otherwise they wouldn't be getting any discount ramen in the future.

"Nothing bad… just mainly along the lines of how disappointed you're going to be when I beat you is all." Ichigo replied, his tone teasing. Grimmjow's brow twitched, the man's lips quirking into a wide grin.

"Is that a challenge, Ichi?" He asked, his tone deeply amused. Ichigo smirked, guffawing as he ducked the playful cuff over the head aimed his way by the blue haired man. Grimmjow's smile widened further, his cyan eyes glinting with cunning as he continued on towards the others. "Right, just for that I'm stickin' you on the opposite team."

Ichigo smiled good-naturedly, thoroughly enjoying this as much as his sensei was when the teacher called out.

"Yo, Granz. I'm putting Ichi on your team. Knock some sense into 'im." He spoke up to the blond. Yylfordt looked up from where he was talking with Edrad, the long blond haired man raising an eyebrow when Ichigo made his way over.

"You pissed him off already, did you?" He asked, his expression amused. Ichigo grinned.

"Probably." He replied. Yylfordt laughed.

"Nice one. To be honest we're going to need all the people we can on this team. Grimm's temper can be volatile at the best of times and we'll be fucked if we started playing right now with only three guys on our side." The blond added, grimacing slightly at the end of his sentence. Ichigo frowned – he had also noticed the uneven numbers of players.

He cast a sidelong glance to Edrad and Di Roy, the two other members on his team. They grinned widely in return.

"Nice to meet ya, Ichi. We're more than happy to have you on our team but please for the love of sweet shit you better know how to play." Di Roy spoke up, his tone jovial. Ichigo's lips twitched slightly into an upturned smile as he took his place on the court.

"Trust me, I do." He replied, his warm brown eyes focused. His teammates exchanged glances, looking at the teen appreciatively. He turned his head, his eyes momentarily locking with his sensei's – Grimmjow, Nakeem and Shawlong already waiting for the remaining four to get themselves sorted out.

Warm brown eyes glanced coolly into cyan blue, the competitive smiles on both males' faces not going missed by everyone else present even as the ball moved, all seven rushing forth at once to begin the match.

* * *

It was like being locked in a cage with a bunch of wild animals.

Ichigo found himself momentarily taken aback with the amount of pushing and shoving that was going on, his teammates laughing and grabbing at the ball, ducking under the arms and legs that reached out to grab and punch.

He grinned, regaining his composure as a flash of blue passed him by, the orangette keen to show his teacher that he simply wasn't trying to goad him on before when he said that he would beat his sensei in a game of basketball. Granted, he had envisioned it as a 'friendly' game… and the way this match was currently going was anything but... However he could still work with this.

He darted behind Shawlong, his eyes focused on the ball as Di Roy threw it to him. He jumped up, catching it and grinning widely as he raced with it around the court, carefully navigating himself around Nakeem as the man came within a shoulder's breadth of his person. He heard a loud bark of laughter, the teen raising his eyebrows and simply smirking as he threw the ball behind him the very second Grimmjow came into view, the sensei clearly conveying by his expression that he was impressed with Ichigo's quick reflexes.

The ball sailed through the air, Shawlong shoving Edrad out of the way just as the tall man was set to grab it – Yylfordt quickly jumped up and took possession of the ball, sniggering as he elbowed Shawlong right in the jaw and knocked him back down on the court. His lithe form ducked and dodged with ease past his friends as he raced on. He looked up, nodding to Ichigo as he angled his wrists and chucked the ball in an overhead pass to the teen.

Ichigo ducked under Grimmjow's arm, laughing when a call of "nice moves, Kurosaki" filled his ears from the English teacher. He dribbled the ball around the court when he caught it, almost tripping over Nakeem in his excitement to get away. He gazed up hurriedly, noticing Edrad nearby – the taller man catching the ball with ease in one hand and swinging it behind his back to Di Roy.

The younger man cried out as he caught it, weaving past his friends as he darted with precise movements. He span the ball around on his index finger, whooping as he jumped up and sent it barrelling towards Yylfordt once more.

"YO, DEL TORO!" He called out. Yylfordt gave him the finger briefly before catching the ball effortlessly, jumping up and grabbing onto the goal hoop as he made to slam dunk it directly into the goal. Unanimous cheers rang out from Ichigo, Edrad and Di Roy as the ball flew in and the team scored the first goal, however their joy was short-lived when the blond was elbowed in the chest, a shock of blue dashing swiftly past as Yylfordt cussed at Grimmjow loudly when he ran by, having caught the escaping ball.

Grimmjow's smirk was wild as he raced past, Ichigo almost completely mind blown by the agility of his teacher. He shook his head, snapping out of it as he followed, laughing as he caught the grin on his sensei's face when the blue haired man turned his head to wink at the teen.

He ducked the youth's attempt to take back the ball, effortlessly passing it to Nakeem, who in turn threw it to Shawlong – the tall man sweeping his gaze over the opposite team. He sidestepped Di Roy, causing the younger man to slide on the ground and cuss at the top of his lungs. He bounced the ball quickly in front of him, ignoring the ash blond and waiting calmly for the others to catch up.

Yylfordt and Edrad rushed towards him, Shawlong waiting a split second before they reached him to throw the ball. He jumped back just as the two caught up, causing them both to knock into each other and growl cusses as they hit their heads. Ichigo looked around for any sight of the basketball, only noticing that it was in Grimmjow's possession once again when it was too late – the teacher bouncing it in front of the goal post. He had paused, clearly waiting for Ichigo to catch up to him.

The youth laughed, running forwards and raising an eyebrow expectantly. Grimmjow's smile was smug, even as he took his time in preparing to shoot.

"You think ya got what it takes to stop me, Kurosaki?" He sniggered. Ichigo scoffed.

"Damn right I do, Jaegerjaquez." He answered. His teacher threw his head back as he elicited a bark of laughter, his cyan eyes glinting. Ichigo was barely able to respond in time when all of a sudden his teacher had moved, jumping up and dunking the ball cleanly through the hoop, landing on the court again and grabbing it before it even bounced a second time across the cement. Ichigo blinked, rushing forwards and grinning as he elbowed his teacher out of the way, Grimmjow's surprised cry echoing in his ears as the teen took off, his feet working quickly against the court as he ran.

He could hear footfalls behind him and calls of his name, the youth not even caring as he quickly loosed the ball from his grip just as he was tackled from behind, the orangette crying with laughter even as he sailed to the ground, Grimmjow keeping him pinned in a loose headlock. Ichigo was almost struggling to breathe from how hard the laughter rippled from his throat, but he didn't care. His eyes blurring with tears of mirth, he grappled against the hold his teacher had on him, still keeping his eyes trained on the basketball.

Yylfordt and Edrad pushed Nakeem and Shawlong out of the way, jeering as they went, the two making to rush forwards to land the ball in the hoop if it didn't go in. They paused, their expressions ecstatic as it coursed cleanly through the air, catching the rim of the hoop and circling it before sliding straight through.

Raucous cheers rang up from his teammates, Ichigo crying out for joy at his work. Grimmjow laughed, chuckling and shaking his head as he stood himself back up, extending his hand and continuing to grin as Ichigo accepted the help and allowed himself to be pulled back to his feet. They brushed themselves of, Ichigo soon yelling in surprise as he found himself instantaneously swamped by his team – the youth receiving claps on the back and ruffles of his spiky hair.

"Nice one Ichi!" Di Roy crowed, almost tackling Ichigo to the ground again in his enthusiasm. Ichigo cried out, blinking as someone grabbed him by the arm and helped steady him.

"Di Roy, watch what you're doing for Christ's sake." Yylfordt rolled his eyes, returning Ichigo's grin as he removed his hand from the orangette's arm. Ichigo chuckled, Di Roy smiling sheepishly.

"Thanks." Ichigo said as he turned his head to face the blond. He was met with another large grin in reply. A hand came to rest along his shoulder, Ichigo turning his head and smiling smugly as he found himself face to face with his amused looking English teacher.

"Well, well, well. You can play after all, Kurosaki." Grimmjow arched an eyebrow. Ichigo crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing the man coolly in return.

"What? Didn't believe me, sensei?" He asked innocently. Grimmjow gave a snort of laughter.

"Cheeky bastard. Ok so maybe I was cocky before but hey – now we all know you can play, yer gonna be in fer it now!" He sniggered, his blue eyes looking rather cunning. Ichigo merely smiled and feigned another look of innocence as he clapped his hand against his teacher's.

"You're on." He said simply, falling into laughter once more as the second match started, the teen unable to contain his grin as it split across his face. Today really was one of the best days of his life.

* * *

The smile continued to stretch its way widely over the teen's lips even as he slung his jersey over his shoulder, Ichigo lifting a hand and waving once more to the dispersing enthusiastic crowd of his teacher's friends.

He received nods and yells of thanks for playing, Di Roy especially promising a freebie the next time he and Grimmjow ordered ramen from him. Grimmjow chuckled at this, quipping back a humorous retort even as he unlocked his car, sliding into the driver's seat. Ichigo grinned as he followed suit, eliciting a satisfied sigh the moment he eased his sore limbs down onto the comfortable leather, shutting the door and buckling his seatbelt.

He leant his head back against the headrest, closing his eyes as Grimmjow turned on the ignition, the car instantly purring to life. The English sensei ran a hand through his unruly blue locks, giving a sigh of his own as he looked at the teen next to him. He chuckled, ruffling the youth's hair affectionately, Ichigo snorting a laugh and batting the man's hand away as he began reversing the car out of the parking lot.

"Well I have to say, and I'm not makin' this up, but goddamn that was the best load of fun I've had in ages." Grimmjow spoke up, his tone proud as the car tore down the side street. Ichigo gave a murmur of agreement, his smile soft as he opened his eyes.

"Sure was." He replied. Grimmjow chuckled again.

"'Course it was even better 'cos I won…" He said cheerily. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. We came really close to kicking your ass." The teen quipped back, his warm brown eyes glinting with pride. Grimmjow smiled.

"You did actually – and you really surprised me out there. Yer a natural, Ichi." The sensei sounded every bit as impressed as he looked, Ichigo feeling his cheeks warm up from the praise. He quickly turned his head to gaze out the window, watching the pedestrians as they passed them on the sidewalk.

"Thanks…" He mumbled faintly.

"No worries. Maybe we can all have another match sometime? Oh! I know! When mid-term break comes up. That'll be the perfect time. 'Course I'll have to actually get some proper marking done during those two weeks but honestly that can go fuck itself." The sensei added, waving his hands around as if to emphasise his point.

Ichigo felt a leap of excitement rise in his chest at the prospect – during those two hours he had come to learn a lot about Grimmjow's childhood friends, and he had found that they had been quite enjoyable company. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't stoked at the opportunity to play another game with them.

"I'd really like that." He smiled. Grimmjow's grin was truly infectious.

"Good. I was hopin' you'd say that." The blue haired man replied. He stifled a yawn, smiling sheepishly as he glanced back at Ichigo. "Sorry about how late it is an' all though. I'm gonna drop you off home now an' then tick off."

Ichigo shook his head.

"Nah, that's ok. Yuzu's off at gymnastics and Karin's got soccer. You can stay for a bit if you want." He suggested. Grimmjow glanced at him as the car pulled to a halt at some traffic lights.

"You sure about that?" He asked. Ichigo nodded. Grimmjow's brows furrowed faintly, the man evidently mulling this over in his head. Presently he shrugged his shoulders, a cheerful smile forming on his lips as he did so, turning back to the road and placing his foot on the accelerator when the traffic light turned green.

"Sure thing Ichi. I'll finally get to have a good look at the place. Maybe find something to help spring on Aizen-fuckin'-sensei as payback for tryin' to get me in trouble." He sniggered. Ichigo laughed, folding his arms behind his head and settling back further, lapsing into light-hearted conversation with his teacher even as they pulled up outside the orangette's house some twenty minutes later.


	11. What To Do on a Day Off

 

 

Ichigo moved to stifle a yawn as he threw the house keys down upon the kitchen bench top, the teen stretching his arms above his head and relieving the tension in his tired muscles. He turned back around when the sound of the door closing behind him echoed in the silent house, and he smiled as Grimmjow walked into the kitchen some few seconds later, the blue haired man gazing appreciatively around him.

"I gotta say you've got this place tidied up nicely, Ichi." He spoke up, his tone impressed as he returned his cyan gaze back to the youth. Ichigo shrugged, grinning as he turned around to grab a mug from the cupboard.

"You have my sisters to thank for that. If it wasn't for them all those boxes would still be unpacked all over the place." The teen answered. Grimmjow chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Lazy bastard." He scoffed. Ichigo turned his head, raising an eyebrow.

"I've been promoted from cheeky to lazy now, have I?" He teased. Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"No. Don't get ahead o' yerself." He retorted. Ichigo snorted a laugh.

"You want some tea or coffee or something?" He asked. The English sensei's brows creased faintly as he considered the orangette's words.

"Yeah some coffee would be good if that's not too much trouble. Thanks Ichi." He answered. Ichigo nodded, smiling again and making to pull down another mug for his teacher. He grabbed the coffee powder from the nearby shelf, turning on the kettle afterwards.

"Hope you don't mind but we only have the instant stuff." He spoke up, grimacing apologetically. Grimmjow barked a laugh, his lips pulling apart into a wide grin.

"That's fine by me. Hey listen, is it ok if I go take a shower quickly?" The sensei asked. Ichigo paused momentarily from where he was about to grab a spoon from the cutlery drawer. He looked up, his expression slightly stunned.

"Uh… yeah, sure." He blinked. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, already making his way towards the staircase.

"What? Never heard of someone needing to clean themselves up before, Kurosaki? We just had a match and frankly I feel like shit. 'Sides, this is payback for you usin' my shower last time." The teacher responded, his tone smug. Ichigo sighed faintly as he went back to preparing the coffee.

"Yeah, yeah, just hurry up and get in there." He retorted. Grimmjow flashed him another wide grin, his strides long as he ascended the stairs two at a time. Chuckling to himself Ichigo shook his head as he poured the boiling water into the cups, sighing in content as the scent of coffee wafted to his nose.

* * *

Giving a satisfied sigh as he turned the tap, Grimmjow closed his eyes as he ran a hand through his now considerably dampened blue locks. The spray from the shower gradually ceased as he stepped out of the glass cubicle, water glistening in transparent droplets down his tanned skin before being wiped away with the towel he tied around his waist.

The steam from the hot shower curled and roiled in the air as he dried himself off, his body and mind now considerably relaxed after the lengthy time he had spent under the showerhead.

_Goddamn, whoever invented hot water I owe you a million fucking dollars and a freebie of coffee_ , the sensei thought to himself.

Chuckling, he straightened himself up and began sifting through his clothes, removing the towel and replacing it with his pants as he slid them over his legs. His expression was content as he relayed the events of the basketball match over in his mind.

If he was honest with himself, the blue haired man was of the opinion that that was one of the greatest ideas he had ever had. It was good to catch up with the boys again after such a long time – he hadn't seen any of them with the exception of Di Roy since the previous school holidays. But by far what had been the icing on the metaphorical cake for him had been Ichigo's smiling face and his enthusiasm during the whole time spent on the court.

Hell, even when Grimmjow had still beaten his cheeky ass he hadn't stopped laughing. It was enough to make the sensei inwardly swell with pride. Seeing the kid so happy was something he found soothed him somewhat, especially after knowing all the shit the boy had previously endured at home.

In fact, as he mulled over these thoughts right now, the man pausing in his search for his clean shirt, he found himself thinking that he had finally achieved something he had never been able to have of his own when he himself was growing up, or even now in his chosen career – and that was a sense of true satisfaction. Simple and sweet.

This upsurge of positivity was even enough to fully free his mind of the guilt and shame he suffered daily at not being able to do more for the teen. Everything appeared as water under the bridge right now – and for the first time in a long time, Grimmjow found that he was truly and honestly happy.

His lips pulled into a fond smile.

"I have to hand it to ya, Kurosaki." He muttered, chuckling as he resumed looking over the bath rails and the door for his shirt.

He would be an idiot if he didn't admit to himself that the kid really did mean a lot to him.

His brows furrowed slightly.

_Goddammit. Where did I put my shirt?_

He let out a groan.

"Shit. Must have left it in the fucking car." He grumbled. He'd still been wearing his jersey when he'd walked into the bathroom. Sighing and tilting his head back, running his hand over his forehead, he let out a tired grumble.

Unfortunately there was always a downside to something positive.

He went to unlock the door, turning off the light as he did so, his strides long as he made his way out of the tidy and minimalistic bathroom, beginning his trek towards the staircase. The scent of coffee wafted to him from down below, and the teacher gave an appreciative smile as he walked down the stairs.

He heard shuffling in the kitchen, Ichigo evidently searching through the pantry for something to eat. The teacher cast another sweeping glance over the living room with its upholstered quaint couch and the television in front of it as soon as he had reached the ground landing. He was impressed with how quickly the kid and his sisters had tidied up the place; it had taken Grimmjow a good couple of months to unpack his belongings when he had moved into the house he was living in now – but he wasn't about to let the teen know that. He thought it was fair he let the youth win something between the two of them every once in a while.

Chuckling at this thought, the English sensei reached up and rapped his knuckles against the wall by the door leading into the kitchen, Ichigo lifting his head at the noise and turning around to face his teacher. As soon as he did so, warm brown eyes widened, the youth's mouth dropping a little before the teen regained his composure and gazed at his teacher with a thoroughly unamused expression.

"Is there any reason why you're walking around like that?" Ichigo's voice was exasperated. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, lifting his hand and angling a middle finger towards the youth as he walked off towards the front door.

"Yeah, forgot my shirt in the car. I'll be back in a sec." The man's rough voice called out. Ichigo sighed, shaking his head as he turned back to the packet of chips he had salvaged.

He tore open the packet, hungrily wolfing down the food and trying to shake the image from his mind of his teacher having literally just walked in without his shirt on.

He cussed faintly, the sight of a broad, tanned and very well-defined torso imprinting itself permanently in his mind. He tried to keep his head clear, to push unwelcome and unnecessary thoughts out of his head. He wouldn't think down that road… he  _couldn't_.

He had been gripping his hand so tightly the sharp prickling sensation along his palm drew his attention towards the small cut he had managed to make in his skin from his fingernails. Cussing again Ichigo placed the chip packet down and washed his hands under the cool stream of water from the tap. As he did so, he found that as the water washed away the blood, it seemed to wash away the uncomfortable embarrassment of his mind only to replace it with a far more unsettling thought.

And that was at the sight of the faint scar he had seen adorning his teacher's muscled abdomen.

Ichigo's brows furrowed, his eyes narrowing.

The sound of the door opening again followed by footsteps redirected his attention to his teacher, Ichigo turning off the tap and casting a sidewards glance towards the blue haired man as Grimmjow straightened his shirt out, smiling at the teen before reaching down and picking up the coffee left out for him on the kitchen bench top.

Ichigo eyed the man carefully, his eyes trailing over wild looking features as the teen leant his back against the nearest cupboard, his arms crossing over his chest. Grimmjow blinked, pausing in sipping his coffee. He raised an eyebrow, looking amused.

"Somethin' wrong, Kurosaki?" He asked. Ichigo sighed, shaking his head.

"No, not really." He muttered. Grimmjow grinned.

"Look, I promise to remember my shirt next time, ok?" He chuckled. Ichigo laughed faintly, rolling his eyes and eliciting another heavy sigh as he ran a hand through his orange locks. Grimmjow's eyes narrowed faintly, the older man placing his coffee back down as he too crossed his arms over his chest.

He studied the teen carefully for a moment.

"Ichi? What's wrong?" He asked again, his tone considerably softer. Ichigo slowly lifted his gaze, his warm brown eyes locking with the cyan depths of his teacher's eyes.

"I saw that scar on your chest." He mumbled. He was so quiet that Grimmjow almost had to strain to hear him. The sensei sighed, closing his eyes momentarily before running his hand over his forehead.

"Oh… yeah… that…" He grunted out faintly.

Ichigo's expression was near pleading.

"What happened?" He whispered. Grimmjow opened his eyes, his features pained. He studied the youth in silence for a long while, debating whether or not to tell him. Ichigo seemed to catch his teacher's hesitancy and he quickly shook his head, forcing a smile on his lips.

"No, I'm sorry. Forget it, you don't have t—"

"Nah… nah its ok, Ichi." The sensei interjected, smiling faintly, though the youth didn't look so convinced by this. Grimmjow offered another slight smile in return, his expression softening as he gazed out of the window. He was silent for another while before continuing.

"It's somethin' I got when I was a kid." He shrugged. Ichigo unfolded his arms from his chest, resting them behind him on the counter.

"When you were at the orphanage?" He inquired. Grimmjow shook his head.

"Nah. Though it may as well have been." He reached down and pulled up the bottom fold of his shirt, revealing his lower abdomen to the teen. Ichigo tentatively stepped forward, his warm brown eyes gazing carefully over the pale milky scar which crossed over his teacher's tanned skin.

"I was really young when I was carted over there. I had this scar long before I even arrived. My dad did it apparently, goin' by what the nurses there told me. Some fucked up drug induced rage. He swung a knife at me an' it got me pretty good." Grimmjow continued, watching unblinkingly as Ichigo carefully reached out to trace his fingertips against the warm skin of the man's abdomen, marking out the angry looking wound. The teacher paused, almost closing his eyes against the relaxing feel of Ichigo's curious exploration. He instead forced another smile on his lips, Grimmjow raising an eyebrow at the teen again. "Sounds kinda familiar, doesn't it?"

Ichigo lifted his gaze from the man's stomach, his fingers drawing back. He tried to swallow down the anger rising within him at hearing his teacher's story, a forced smile of his own forming on his lips as he locked eyes with his sensei.

"Yeah, it does a bit." He replied, grimacing slightly at the memory of the scar donning his arm from his father's incident a while ago. Grimmjow nodded, sliding his shirt back down. He lifted up his mug of coffee, sipping it in silence before continuing.

"I guess that's another reason why I'm so eager to help ya." He mused, the taller man shrugging his shoulders. "We're like kindred spirits or somethin'."

Despite himself Ichigo laughed.

"What?" He gasped out, eyeing his teacher incredulously. Grimmjow's grin had widened, the man winking and giving a chuckle as he did so.

"We both have scars… abusive fathers… shit lives… attitude problems… come on, Ichi! If you haven't seen the resemblance yet then what the hell am I teachin' you in class?" He laughed. Ichigo almost choked on his coffee as he snorted into the cup, the teen having to grip his stomach to try and maintain some control of himself.

"You're an idiot, Grimm." He managed out, dabbing away the tears of mirth from his eyes.

Grimmjow nodded.

"An' fuckin' proud of it." He replied. Ichigo had to turn around to face the kitchen wall, his shoulders trembling as his laughter rang out. Grimmjow smiled, feeling satisfied that he had lightened the mood considerably. He chuckled again, draining some more of his coffee.

Presently Ichigo sighed, rubbing his eyes once more as he turned back around to face his sensei. His smile was wide as he picked up his drink again, taking a slow sip of the hot beverage before continuing.

"I'm sorry you had to put up with that though." He spoke quietly. Grimmjow shrugged, giving a noncommittal grunt.

"Ehh it doesn't worry me. I stopped carin' about it years ago." He replied. Ichigo's lips quirked into the slightest of smiles.

"That's teacher talk for 'shut the fuck up and get over your own issues before you worry about mine, Kurosaki', isn't it?" He teased. Grimmjow's eyes glinted in amusement.

"More or less." He sniggered. Ichigo rolled his eyes, making to punch the taller man on the arm. Grimmjow barked a laugh, batting the youth's hand away.

The sound of pattering against the windowpane drew their attention towards the sheets of rain which had just begun to drench the glass. Grimmjow heaved a heavy sigh.

"Fuck's sake. Just got her washed the other day, too." He grumbled, eyeing his car despondently. Ichigo smiled, finishing his coffee and placing the empty mug in the sink.

"Hey, Grimm?" He asked. Grimmjow turned his head.

"Yeah?" He rose a brow. Ichigo's expression became pensive.

"I've been wondering… your friends… you met all of them at the orphanage right? How exactly did you meet them?" He asked. Grimmjow smiled, walking forwards and setting his own empty coffee mug in the sink.

He leant against the cupboard alongside Ichigo, folding his arms over his chest and tilting his head back.

"Probably Di Roy an' I go the furthest back. He's the youngest outta all of us – he's only twenty. He was the bitchy little kid who always got himself in trouble. He kinda clung to me in a way – saw me as a role model or somethin'. I'd help him out of mischief an' he'd pay me back by snaggin' some food from the kitchens at night." He paused, letting out a fond chuckle. Ichigo's lips quirked into a grin. Grimmjow's brows then furrowed, the man evidently thinking carefully.

"Let's see… after him Shawlong and Nakeem arrived at the same time. Shawlong's really chatty an' he never shuts up about gettin' kicked off some ship when he an' his parents arrived here from China some god knows number of years ago. Unsuccessful merchant trade or somethin'. He's the oldest out of us by the way. He's in his forties now. Nakeem, well… he's an annoying little fucker but he's good for a laugh. He's thirty. He ran away from home 'cos he was a spoilt bitch who never got what he wanted. Ended up getting begged by his parents for the orphanage to take him. As for Edrad, well he's thirty five. He used to be a quiet kid but he eventually came outta his shell. He can't remember what happened to his parents. The staff at the orphanage had no references to go by. He might as well've never had any parents to begin with."

Grimmjow had lifted a hand to absentmindedly scratch at his chin, the blue haired male evidently contemplating what he was going to say next.

"Then last but not least there's Yylfordt an' Szayel. Those two are the same age, twenty three and I'm sure you can tell by lookin' at 'em that they're also twins. Szayel was the younger brother by two hours or somethin'... their mother died when they were born so they were left with their dad, but I don't know what happened to him. I actually didn't meet 'em at the orphanage - they both went to my high school and we were all in the same classes. Those two are really smart so they were the lucky bastards who skipped a few grades 'cos the teachers were so impressed with 'em... but yeah we got on great, specially me an' 'Fordt. They're probably two o' my closest friends... I mean o' course like any siblings they're all at each other's throats sometimes but really despite what those two say about each other, they're both really good brothers an' look out fer one another. It was Szayel who helped 'Fordt get into physiotherapy after all, an' that blond bastard is really fuckin' successful at it." The teacher shrugged as he finished, yawning slightly as he stretched his arms above his head. Ichigo felt himself blinking in surprise, making a mental note to himself to ask the Biology teacher about that sometime, and also Yylfordt if he saw him again.

Grimmjow meanwhile looked back down at the teen, laughing as he saw Ichigo's face scrunched up in concentration. He clapped the youth on the shoulder, drawing the orangette out of his reverie.

"It's a lot to take in I know, but that's my unhappy group o' misfits." Grimmjow grinned.

Ichigo smiled, shaking his head.

"No, I think it's interesting. I mean when you think about it, you were really lucky to fall in with a bunch of guys who are just as stuck up the ass as you are." He replied cheerfully.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, cuffing the teen playfully over the head. Ichigo laughed loudly, crying out and continuing to elicit peals of laughter as he was then pulled into a brief headlock by the blue haired man.

Grinning, Grimmjow let him go, Ichigo chuckling as he smoothed out his hair as best he could.

"One of these days Kurosaki, I swear to god…" The sensei laughed. Ichigo shrugged, smiling as his chuckles eventually died down. A brief silence fell over the two, the pair gazing out of the window again at the sheets of rain which continued to pour down and drench the outside street.

A sudden buzzing drew them out of their reverie, Grimmjow and Ichigo sharing a confused glance as they locked eyes. Cussing as he reached down and pulled his phone out, Grimmjow glanced at the screen and rolled his eyes as he turned back to the orangette.

"Hirako's callin'. Hang on a sec, Ichi." He sighed, bringing his phone up to his ear and answering. "Yo, Hirako. 'Sup?"

Ichigo waited patiently while his teacher took the call, the teen only just making out the voice of the Music teacher on the other end. Grimmjow gave murmurs of agreement every so often, the man's brows furrowing as he listened.

"Right, thanks fer lettin' me know… yeah… will do. Uh-huh... did he say why? ... What the fuck, honestly... 'K well I'll give Granz a ring an' ask him about it. He might know... Why him? Well he's smarter than you, ain't that obvious?"

Ichigo felt his brows rise higher against his hairline, a wide grin splitting his lips as he listened to his teacher's responses. He wondered what Hirako-sensei was telling him, but he kept quiet - knowing Grimmjow would tell him as soon as he had finished. He thankfully didn't have to wait long.

"Right see ya tomorrow." Grimmjow hung up, the blue haired man sighing and stifling a yawn as he slid his phone back into his pocket. He remained silent for a moment longer, his expression contemplative as he gazed at the opposite wall. Ichigo's grin faded and he frowned slightly.

"Grimmjow? What's wrong?" He asked cautiously. Grimmjow blinked, looking down at the youth and offering an apologetic grimace.

"Nothin's wrong, Ichi. School's apparently gonna be out on the twenty third." He replied. Ichigo's brows rose slightly in disbelief.

"What for?" He asked. Grimmjow shrugged.

"Dunno. Hirako didn't have all the details... just said that Yama-jii posted an announcement over email a few minutes ago. I guess the old geezer must have a lot goin' on now... " He shrugged again, crossing his arms over his chest. Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

"That's actually really annoying... I had a Chem prac due then..." He sighed. "Kurotsuchi's probably gonna put double the work on us next class now."

Grimmjow gazed sympathetically at the teen, resting a hand reassuringly on his shoulder.

"Can't be worse than Aizen-fuckin'-sensei right?" He smiled faintly. Ichigo's lips twitched into a grin and he shook his head.

"Hell no, not by a long-shot." He agreed. "Though Renji might beg to differ..."

Grimmjow snorted, his lips pulling apart into a wide smile.

"He has to learn somehow." He snickered. Ichigo scoffed a laugh.

The rain continued to fall outside, both Grimmjow and Ichigo gazing back out at the frosted windows and the rain tracks running across their surface. After a moment, Grimmjow resumed speaking.

"So what were you planning on doin' fer yer essay, Ichi?" He asked as he glanced back at the orangette. Ichigo frowned slightly, resting his elbows on the kitchen counter as he considered this.

"Well I'm not really sure, to be honest," he began, his brown eyes contemplative. "I was thinking about it when I got back home this morning and I thought either Oscar Wilde or even Tolkien might be a good place to start."

Grimmjow moved to rest his own elbows on the bench next to the teen, his blue eyes glazed over in thought.

"Interesting choices there..." He mused. "Plenty of imagery, plenty o' literary techniques... yeah I have no problem with either of them. Keep in mind it's a fifteen hundred word piece so yer gonna have to think of a few." He looked back at Ichigo. The orangette nodded, resting his chin in his palm.

"Yeah... I think I'm going to combine the two and talk about the themes of their work and compare them for any differences and stuff like that." He replied. Grimmjow smiled.

"That sounds good. Lookin' forward to seein' the final product, Kurosaki. I'm not allowed to help you with yer assignments o' course, but if you need a few starters and tips I can make an exception for you seein' as yer my favourite student and all." He replied cheerily. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Why does that sound like an insult coming from you?"

Grimmjow barked a laugh.

"Because it was." He teased, winking at him. Ichigo punched his teacher in the arm and snickered when Grimmjow scoffed another laugh.

Presently Grimmjow straightened himself up, checking his watch. He sighed when he saw the time.

"I s'pose I'd better head off now, it's almost five. I need to get back an' make a few calls an' mark some o' my other class's work. You gonna be ok here?" He asked, looking at the orangette. Ichigo nodded, also straightening up as he walked towards the front door, opening it as his teacher grabbed his keys and followed.

"Yeah I'll be fine. Thanks for today again, Grimm." He smiled. Grimmjow grinned.

"Anytime Ichi. You look after yerself, yeah? Tell yer sisters I said hi an'– oh! Actually... on the twenty third..." He paused momentarily, trailing off. Ichigo blinked and cocked his head slightly to the side as he leant against the wall.

"On the twenty third what?" He asked. Grimmjow looked back at him.

"I was just thinkin'... 'Fordt an' I were gonna head out for a game later that afternoon after school finished but since we're havin' a day off... I can reschedule an' we can go catch a movie or somethin' if you'd like." He suggested.

Ichigo blinked, almost doing a double take.

"What?" He echoed. Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"Movie. As in cinema. You want the dictionary definition? 'A theatre whe—'"

"Yes thank you I'm not a complete idiot." Ichigo interjected, the teen snorting a laugh. Grimmjow grinned again. He watched the teen's brows furrow, the boy evidently thinking the idea over. He seemed greatly amused.

"Why did you want to go catch a movie?" He asked presently. The English sensei gave a noncommittal grunt.

"Dunno. Sounded like it might be fun. I mean there's no more conventions till next month and I figured this would be a better way to spend the day off instead of having you lounging around on your lazy ass here doin' nothing." He replied.

Ichigo considered his teacher's words for a moment, his lips quirking into a slight smile. He nodded, shrugging and stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah, sounds good." He answered. Grimmjow blinked, watching him carefully before giving another grin of his own.

"Great. Dunno what movies are playing but I s'pose we'll find out. Please for the love of god tell me you  _don't_ like those freakin' chick flicks though?" The sensei asked warily. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Hardly." He scoffed. Grimmjow's expression settled back to his usual satisfied smile.

"Good. I'm proud of ya, Ichi." He spoke up cheerily. Ichigo rolled his eyes again, unable to hold back the chuckle which rippled from his throat.

"They open at about eleven so I can pick you up here by ten thirty if you want?" The sensei asked.

"So early? I dunno about that sensei… I mean I'd rather sit around and lounge on my lazy ass all day…" Ichigo teased. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, making to cuff the teen playfully on the back of the head again. Ichigo laughed, ducking and smoothing out his hair once more even as the blue haired man chuckled and straightened himself up.

"Cheeky bastard. Ok you better be ready that day alright? If yer not I'll leave without you and make it my personal mission to torment you in class. I mean even more than I already do." He smiled, reaching down and embracing the teen in a quick hug. Ichigo laughed again, wrapping his arms tightly around the taller man before slowly letting go and nodding as Grimmjow pulled away and lifted his hand in a wave, the teacher already making to turn around and walk out the door. "See ya tomorrow, Ichi."

Ichigo nodded, returning the wave as another last grin was flashed at him before the door closed. He continued to stand there, smiling fondly with a steady bubbling stream of excitement rising in his chest as the sound of his teacher's car purred to life, its rumbling fading down the street moments later.

_Holy shit!_

He couldn't stop himself from grinning stupidly, his smile still plastered on his lips as he turned around from the door, heading back into the kitchen to get himself some more coffee. He tried to focus his mind on starting the essay seeing as it was due the end of next week, but he just couldn't quell that rising joy taking over his brain cells and making him effectively dumb and giddy with happiness.

He really couldn't wait until the twenty third.

* * *

"Shit! You serious?"

His voice was laced with excitement as he juggled with holding his phone and resting it on his shoulder, Grimmjow keeping it pressed against his ear with his cheek whilst he settled out assignments over his desk. Uncapping his pen with his free hand he placed it alongside the sheets of loose paper as he waited for his friend to continue.

"Damn right I am, Grimm. We're all set up for next season and we can even go international. Shawlong found out about it last night when Louisenbairn sent out an advert for any teams in the area." The blond's smooth voice was just as excited on the other side of the line, Grimmjow having no doubt that the man's smile was as wide as his was at that current moment.

He paused, shuffling momentarily to lean back against the couch, the blue haired man shifting his phone to his other shoulder as he picked up his pen again and began scanning his eyes over the name and title of the first assignment.

"Holy fuck, 'Fordt! I hope you guys told that bastard we'd take that offer." He replied.

"Hey, I know we can be idiots but did you really think we'd be that stupid enough to let something like this slide?" Yylfordt's tone was sceptical on the other end, Grimmjow unable to help chuckling in response.

"Actually yeah. But I'm glad you made the right choice this time." He smiled. He barked a laugh when he heard the agitated sigh from his friend in response. "Relax, Blondie." He then added.

"Cute. Real cute." The man's voice grumbled out over the phone. Grimmjow smiled again, now moving to correct the first punctuation error on the second paragraph of Kira Izuru's recount. He scrunched his brows momentarily.

_This is pretty dark..._

He sighed as he read over the rest of the rather depressing page worth of writing.

_That kid needs to get out more instead of stayin' in his room all day. The fuck is with this class? This is why I hate teachin' seniors sometimes,_ he thought with a mild snort. One thing's for certain – out of the two classes he was teaching this year, the first was his favourite. At least Ichigo made things bearable.

"Hey, do you think we should ask Ichigo if he wants to join?"

Grimmjow paused, his expression amused as he mulled his friends' words over in his head when Yylfordt dragged him back to the present conversation.

"What's this, 'Fordt? Tryin' to make sure you get the upper hand in a match?" He quipped, raising an eyebrow and his cyan eyes glinting with mirth. He swore he could almost hear the man roll his eyes on the other end.

"Always, you asshole. But I'm being serious. The kid's got talent and he had a lot of fun today. Besides, Di Roy's been going on and on about it and I'm about ready to sock him one if he doesn't shut the hell up." He replied. Grimmjow actually snorted aloud at that.

"Sounds like him. Yeah I'll ask Ichi. I agree with ya – he really took to it out there. Makes me proud." He smiled.

There was a brief silence on the other end.

"… Well, well, well. If the great Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez doesn't have himself a little prodigy…" Yylfordt teased. Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"Fuck off, 'Fordt." He grumbled. He was answered with the man's laughter.

"Hey relax, Grimm. I think it's great – Ichi's a good kid and we'd all like to see him around some more. It's not that often when someone can get through to your thick skull and make you enjoy a match like that. The rest of the boys and I were talking when you two left and we thought we'd never seen you so into it since high school." The blond mused, his tone soft.

Grimmjow paused from where he was about to turn to the next page of Kira's assignment. His brows furrowed faintly.

"Is that right?" He asked quietly. He heard a reply "mm-hmm" from the blond.

The blue haired man considered this carefully.

_Well shit. He's fuckin' right._

He grinned widely.

"Yeah… I guess so." He grunted out, smiling. He finished marking the C on Kira's work and then moved to the next assignment - this one belonging to that white haired Hitsugaya kid. "Hey 'Fordt, ya still there?"

"Yeah."

Grimmjow ran his eyes over the page and paused in his marking as he went to sip some coffee.

"Is yer brother home?" He asked, his brows still furrowed.

"Nah, he went out earlier on. Why?" Yylfordt replied, sounding bemused. Grimmjow cussed faintly under his breath.

"Bugger. Just wanted to find out if he knew why Yama-jii decided to call the day off school on the twenty third is all. I read the email but he didn't explain jack shit." He spoke up.

"Apparently he's got an emergency meeting which came up last minute with the school board and he didn't think it was a good idea to have classes when he couldn't be around to keep an eye on things. Also it could be shortage of staff… old age… can't be fucked… take your pick really." The blond answered. Grimmjow's brows rose.

"Huh. The old geezer should get called out more often. Less days at school for me an' I'm still gettin' paid a full wage." He chuckled. His friend responded with a laugh of his own.

"Your boss has an old-fashioned stick shoved up his old-fashioned ass doesn't he? I mean with how he doesn't seem to think a school can function without him." Yylfordt mused. Grimmjow snickered.

"Don't I know it. Ah well, I ain't complaining. Oh yeah - that reminds me 'Fordt we're gonna have to reschedule that match. Is it alright if we go another day? I have a uh... meeting of my own to attend." He winced, hoping that he sounded convincing enough. Yylfordt was just as sharp as his brother sometimes which didn't always necessarily work in his favour. So he almost exhaled sharply in relief when he heard the cheerful reply on the other end of the line.

"Sure thing. What meeting?" The blond asked. Grimmjow nearly cussed again.

_Fuck._

"I'm headin' out to the university an' givin' a lecture on... creative writing?" He crossed his fingers. Yylfordt's reply was blunt and unamused.

"Uh-huh, sure."

Grimjow rolled his eyes.

"Ok so I'm gonna take a sickie that day an' pretend I got injured at work or somethin' because I'm a lazy bastard an' I'm behind on a month's worth of assignment markin', ok?" He rose a blue eyebrow. Yylfordt scoffed, the man chuckling at Grimmjow's poor excuse.

"Whatever, I don't wanna know Jaegerjaquez. Knowing you, which unfortunately I do, it's something all secret and illegal and rebellious and shit and I'm not even gonna ask."

Grimmjow smiled, resuming his marking.

"Damn straight. Now why couldn't you have said that in the first place?" He retorted. He heard snickering.

"Because I knew you were lying." Yylfordt replied - Grimmjow could almost hear the smile he was certain was adorning his friend's lips at that moment. He grunted.

"Fuck you too." He mumbled.

"Nah I'm good for now, thanks."

Grimmjow sighed, finishing marking Hitsugaya's assignment and turning to the next.

"Uh-huh, whatever Blondie. Listen I gotta go so call me if you find out any more about that interstate stuff ok?" He spoke up, his voice louder.

"Sure thing, will do. See you round, Grimm." Yylfordt replied, hanging up shortly afterwards. Grimmjow placed his phone back down, moving to idly chew on the cap of his pen as he gazed back at the new assignment in front of him, his brain mulling over various things at once.

As the clock ticked on in the background behind him, the stacks of marked papers steadily rising until he had all but finished and two more cups of coffee had been consumed, Grimmjow let out a tired yawn as he stretched his muscled arms above his head and groaned in content when his back popped.

He stood up, rubbing his eyes and heading through into the kitchen to grab himself something to eat.

"I'll be lucky if I'm not a walking zombie before tomorrow morning's class." He muttered aloud to himself as he opened the fridge. Marking really did drain him, as much as he loved his job. If he had to sign off any more papers with D grades though he'd probably walk right out of school and not come back.

_I swear these essays better be more excitin' than hearing the same shit over and over again about doin' nothin' in the holidays except stayin' home or walkin' the dog in the_   _park_ , he internally grumbled as he grabbed some cheese and pasta sauce, intent on making a quick spaghetti for dinner.

Honestly sometimes he really hated that second class.

As he prepared his dinner he found his thoughts slipping away back to the day spent with Ichigo, and then once more he pondered on the promise he had made to the teen about taking him to the movies on their day off. His expression quickly clouded over.

Just  _why_  was he so intent on inviting Kurosaki out to the movies with him of all places?

He sighed, lifting a hand and running it through his locks.

"I really need to space myself." He muttered. Yet even as he said the words aloud, he found that he had instantly regretted them.

Kurosaki was his top English student who had similar life experiences to the sensei himself. The kid had come so far since the beginning of this new term – hell,  _both_ of them had. It wasn't like Grimmjow could suddenly back down and leave the kid stranded between a rock and a hard place, could he?

He sighed. Besides, he really wanted to see a movie with him. He snorted a laugh.

_Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, you officially sound like a fuckin' schoolgirl._

He sighed once more.

Fuck it. He was going to see a movie with Kurosaki, and nothing would stop him. After all, any excuse to skip out on lesson planning in favour of spending the day with one of his closest friends was something he wouldn't trade for anything.

He continued bustling around the kitchen, preparing dinner and doing his best to shove away any second thoughts from the back of his mind.


	12. Spiral Down

Ichigo couldn't ever remember one week of school being so busy before. All throughout that Monday to Friday, he was assaulted left right and centre by so much homework (much of it Kurotsuchi's and Aizen's doing) that he thought he might actually be the first student in the history of forever to  _actually_  die under a literal pile of assignments. His friends weren't faring much better either, each lunch time break seeing them hunched over books in the library or complaining to one another when they sat themselves down in their usual spot at the rooftop eating area. Even Ishida was having trouble trying to keep up with the workload, the normally calm and collected teen now often being seen scrambling back and forth between each class, each time calling out a hurried "I have to go study!" whenever Ichigo or the others would ask where he was going.

Renji had all but given up on his homework altogether, the redhead groaning out loud to whoever would listen that he just didn't care anymore. Of course it only made things worse for him when he scored five detentions in that single week alone for failing to hand up both his Chem and Bio homework. Ichigo and Rukia never heard the end of his rants about the science teachers, and they even went so far as to openly tell him to piss off unless he had something productive to say to them. Though throughout this all, what annoyed Ichigo the most wasn't the amount of homework he was being given... it was the fact that he barely had any time to see Grimmjow. The only time they managed to even talk to one another was during class, and even then Ichigo couldn't stay for long afterwards as the bell had already gone and he would be late for his next lessons. Though they finally scored a quiet moment to sit down in the English sensei's office Wednesday afternoon after school, the day before the 23rd, where Ichigo showed his teacher his progress on his essay. It was the first real moment either had to themselves, and so they wanted to savour the time they had until the youth had to head home.

Unfortunately Grimmjow had to leave half-way through due to a call from the Music sensei, and he gave the orangette a quick hug and a ruffle of his spiky hair, telling him he'd see him tomorrow. Ichigo had then left, feeling more than slightly annoyed at the untimely interruption, but otherwise he let it go as he joined Orihime in walking home.

That was yesterday afternoon, and now the time was 10:45 in the morning the next day. And Ichigo was running late.

He tore down the stairs, the youth's eyes positively glowing with excitement as he jumped the last two steps and sprinted into the kitchen. He almost bowled Karin over who had walked out to the living room at that moment, and he called out a quick apology to her without even turning around.

Karin rolled her eyes and huffed in impatience as she followed her brother, crossing her slight arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow as she observed him stuffing a slice of toast into his mouth whilst currently trying to battle with his jacket zipper at the same time. His hair was even messier than normal, the teen's attempts to sort it out this morning having appeared to have instead made it worse.

She sighed, clearing her throat and raising a brow higher when Ichigo lifted his head to glance at her.

"What are you doing, Ichi-nii?" Karin asked, her tone exasperated. Ichigo grimaced in apology, wolfing down the last of his toast and quickly washing his hands under the sink tap before wiping them down on a nearby towel.

"Sorry Karin, I'm trying to get myself ready. I woke up late and Grimm's gonna be here any minute." His words were jumbled as he dashed past her again, grabbing his keys and feeling his pockets for his phone. Karin leant against the wall.

"That's not like you, Ichi-nii. Did you forget to set your alarm or something?" She inquired. Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck.

"Maybe…" He mumbled. Karin rolled her eyes again and shook her head. Ichigo chuckled sheepishly, looking at his watch and almost jumping when he saw the time.

"Shit, gotta go. You and Yuzu look after yourselves today, ok? We should be back before evening. Make sure you have your lunch and everything, alright?" He said hurriedly, the unmistakeable rumbling purr of his teacher's car already sounding down the outside road. Karin laughed, nodding as her brother leant down to embrace her tightly, a soft smile forming on her lips as he kissed her forehead.

"Sure thing idiot brother. You two enjoy your movie." She replied as Ichigo pulled away, a large grin flashing on his features. He nodded, raising his hand in a wave as he stuffed his keys and phone in the front pockets of his hoodie, the youth bouncing to the door as he flung it open and dashed inside his teacher's car, Grimmjow left sitting in the driver's seat with a very amused expression on his face.

The two departed moments later.

* * *

"Holy crap it's freezing in here." Ichigo grumbled as he shivered, rubbing his arms in an attempt to keep warm as he settled himself down in one of the plush red seats in the back row of the dimmed cinema theatre. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, chuckling as he sat down next to the teen and stowed the ticket stubs in the drink holder on the next seat over. He handed Ichigo the popcorn, the orangette taking it and hastily wolfing down the buttery goodness.

"You have a jacket don't ya? Fuck's sake Ichi it'll warm up soon enough." He replied, his tone cheerful as he dipped his hands into the popcorn carton and shoved some buttery corn into his mouth before Ichigo could eat it all. Ichigo rolled his eyes, making himself comfortable while they waited for the movie to start.

"Also, remind me to get you a proper alarm or somethin'. I can't believe you slept in this morning." The teacher reprimanded. Ichigo laughed, returning his sensei's grin and swallowing the last of his mouthful before speaking again.

"It's not my fault last week's been nothing but hell and I had actual homework to do. Kurotsuchi wants our Chem prac reports to be done by this Friday. Aka  _tomorrow_ , Grimmjow." Ichigo spoke up, raising an eyebrow at the end of his sentence. Grimmjow's response trailed off into a grumble, the blue haired man scowling as he slouched back in his seat. Ichigo turned to look back towards the theatre, gazing at the heads of the people present.

He didn't pay much attention to the name of the movie they were seeing when Grimmjow had muttered it in brief passing, but he had surmised it was some action flick of some description. The theatre was half-full at this stage, the occasional trickling in of new people soon stopping altogether. He frowned slightly when the tall and skinny looking man who strolled to his seat directly in front of him folded his arms behind his head and kicked his feet out and crossed them one over the other on the chair the next row down.

_Goddammit, the film's about to start and this asshole's blocking my view._

Ichigo rolled his eyes.

Some people these days.

His attention was drawn to the woman sitting next to the man in front, her hair teal coloured in the dim light and waist-length, curling over her shoulders. She swatted the man on the head, hissing to him to straighten up. The orangette raised an eyebrow as the tall man grumbled back inaudibly, then moved to grudgingly shift forwards properly in his seat.

Beside him Grimmjow had grunted in annoyance.

"Some fuckin' nerve that guy thinks he has." He grumbled. Ichigo nodded, fully inclining to agree with his friend.

They continued to sit there, the silence broken only by the sound of popcorn being eaten and the low hum of the audience's voices until the lights dimmed down to nothing but a mere black, the screen lighting up and the loud boom of the surround sound filling the spacious theatre.

As the promotional adverts blared on screen, Ichigo shared an excited smile with his companion.

"I hope this movie's good. It had some nice reviews." Grimmjow shrugged, shovelling some more popcorn into his mouth. Ichigo smiled, reaching down and picking up his pepsi, carefully unscrewing the lid and waiting for the fizzing to dissipate slightly before drinking it.

"If it isn't then I can just tease you about it relentlessly in class." He waved it off, putting his drink back down. The blue haired man rolled his eyes, punching the teen in the shoulder. Ichigo had to clap his hands to his mouth to stop himself from guffawing loudly and drawing everyone's attention to where they were sitting in the back row.

Still chuckling whilst the adverts played, the orangette settled back further and let out a content sigh. He ran his homework over in his head, mentally checking off that he had indeed spent up till midnight last night doing everything. Satisfied that he had, he allowed himself to relax and focus as the film began playing.

* * *

The movie certainly wasn't what either of them were expecting. In fact, both Grimmjow and Ichigo had found themselves gazing off elsewhere, distracted by the other audience members some half way through.

It was too much action and not enough plot – which would have been fine under normal circumstances, but both teacher and student couldn't help but sit back and think that even a Shakespeare play would be more welcomed right now.

All the fighting was amusing at first, but seeing as it was quite obvious that that was  _all_ that was going to happen, the two of them both inwardly agreed that they would quietly leave the theatre and find something else to do.

The continued guffawing and excited crowing of the man in front prevented them from doing that, however.

Grimmjow sighed irritably, lowering his voice to a whisper as he spoke to Ichigo.

"That guy's done nothin' but act like he's fuckin' high on somethin' since we got here." He grumbled. Ichigo murmured in agreement, nodding his head. He flinched when the man let loose a particularly raucous cheer, pumping his fist in the air when the car on screen caught flame and exploded off a bridge.

Ichigo felt sorry for the woman sitting next to him – she was hiding her face behind her hands, her cheeks flushed brightly in clear embarrassment. The audience members had turned their heads and were demanding the man keep quiet. He merely ignored them, sticking up his middle finger and retorting with a collection of rather harsh sounding insults.

Biting back the urge to fidget uncomfortably, Ichigo was brought out of his reverie by the irate grunt passing his teacher's lips, Grimmjow digging his hand into the remainder of the popcorn and chucking his fistful at the man in front.

The teen's eyes widened, Ichigo holding his breath as the man jerked and span around, long raven locks flying past his cheeks as he fixed his one visible eye in anger on the blue haired sensei. From here Ichigo could see the stranger's face was angular, his features sharp and his left eye covered by an eye patch of some description. He certainly looked intimidating, his expression contorted in rage, and the orangette mentally congratulated his teacher for not batting an eye as he merely crossed his arms over his chest, fixing an equally irritated glare on the guy in front.

"WHAT THE FUCK'S YER PROBLEM, ASSHOLE?!" The man yelled out, completely oblivious to the noise he was causing, the entire audience now falling silent and focusing on him. Grimmjow sneered.

" _You're_ my problem, buddy. How about you sit down an' keep quiet yeah? Everyone wants you to shut up so  _shut the fuck up_." He hissed, his voice low. The man spluttered, his one visible eye narrowing. The woman next to him clapped her hands to her mouth, her caramel eyes wide.

"N-Nnoi… I think you should listen to hi—"

"Shut up Nelliel!" He hissed, cutting across the timid light voice of the woman. She squeaked a little, shrinking back against her chair as he rounded on her. Grimmjow watched this, his cyan eyes narrowing further. Beside him Ichigo was wringing his hands, his stomach flipping with nerves.

"How's about you leave yer lady friend alone too while yer at it? I highly doubt she deserves to put up with your shit any more than the rest of us do." Grimmjow continued as he raised an eyebrow, his eyes still hard.

The man slowly turned his head back around to face the sensei, his one eye narrowing further, so much so that it appeared as nothing but a mere slit.

"What did you just say?" He whispered, his watery voice harsh. Grimmjow grinned.

"You deaf or somethin'? Leave her the fuck alone." He repeated, clearly enjoying himself. Ichigo was glancing from his teacher to the man, biting his lip so hard he thought he was about to draw blood. He had the distinct feeling this would not end so well. He only hoped that Grimmjow knew what he was doing.

The man ahead looked like he was torn between wanting to sock the blue haired teacher in the face or skip the hitting and go straight for plunging a dagger in his chest. Ichigo felt warning sirens course through his body, and he almost unthinkingly placed a hand on his sensei's arm to try and wordlessly remind him to be careful.

Grimmjow gave no obvious sign that he had noticed, though the faint twitch of his lips into a slightly wider grin told Ichigo that he had this covered. He merely cocked his head, arching his eyebrow further as he sat back more, regarding the eye patched man lightly.

"I ain't gonna ask again." He finished simply.

The man's teeth gnashed together, his expression truly livid.

"Oh yeah? What the fuck gives you the right to order me around, huh? Who the FUCK d'ya think you are,  _punk_?!" He seethed. Grimmjow snorted.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, English sensei at Karakura High, an' you,  _punk_ , are an asshole with severe mental issues an' a trashy fashion sense to boot. So what era did they pull you out of, eh? Eye patches are kinda… I dunno… gay." His lips formed a truly wild grin, his teeth white and his cyan eyes glinting as the man spluttered and almost toppled out of his seat. Ichigo had to bury his head in his arm to stifle the laughter which was threatening to pool from his mouth. The feeling was short-lived however as with one swift motion, the man had swiped his hand out and made to collide his bony fist with Grimmjow's head.

Blue eyes widened, the teacher jumping up and pulling Ichigo along with him.

"SHIT, LEG IT!" He called out, laughter rumbling from his chest as he threw a nicely angled middle finger towards the enraged man who even now was clambering over the woman sitting next to him to jump over the aisle seats and tear into a sprint behind them.

Ichigo felt adrenalin course through his body, the youth feeling both unbearably scared and entirely exhilarated at the same time as he followed his teacher, Grimmjow grinning all the while as his hold tightened firmly around Ichigo's wrist, continuing to drag him along so he could keep up with his speed.

Behind them the man was edging closer, loud streams of cusses and threats pooling from his lips in a less-than-savoury fashion.

"Tch, misjudged the size o' that one. Fuck that guy's tall." Grimmjow muttered under his breath as he and the orangette darted around the corridor, barrelling past surprised and enraged people who were walking through to their theatres. Ichigo quickly chanced a glance behind him as they tore through the cinema ticket office, his eyes widening at the sheer height of the stick-like man following. He couldn't have been more than 7 foot tall at the least. Swallowing thickly he looked back at his teacher, his lungs burning for oxygen as they sprinted out the automatic doors and raced down the outside pavement.

"Holy shit!" Was all he could manage. Grimmjow barked a laugh, flashing another grin to the teen and offering a wink, guiding his friend down towards a side alley. They could hear the man edging closer, his steps increasing in speed as he hollered at the top of his lungs, causing enough racket to have everyone stare at them as if they were criminals who just busted free from jail.

"Grimm?" Ichigo called out timidly through clenched teeth. Grimmjow glanced behind him, cursing once more.

"Yeah I know, Ichi. Hang on. We'll lose him somehow. Goddamn people are far too sensitive fer their own good." He chuckled, his wild smile back in place as they ran down another side alley, taking the shortcut route to where the car was parked. He looked at the orangette out of the corner of his eye. "Better than the movie at any rate." He grinned.

Ichigo would have replied with a witty retort if only he wasn't so terrified that the man behind them really  _was_ about to kill them.

"GET THE FUCK BACK HERE!" He yelled out, his voice far too close for their liking.

"Persistent little bitch." Grimmjow grunted out, swinging around the next corner and helping to balance Ichigo against him as the teen nearly tripped, crying out. "Sorry Ichi. Hang on, ok?" He asked quickly, his expression now concerned as he wrapped a hand around Ichigo's waist to steady him. Ichigo nodded, unable to form a reply in his breathlessness as he glanced apologetically at his teacher. Grimmjow offered a faint smile as he nodded towards his car, which was parked some few feet away behind the neatly parked rows of other vehicles opposite the nearby shopping centre.

The man pursuing them had almost caught up.

"Goddamn ya run like a fuckin' pansy! See ya round, punk!" Grimmjow crowed as he threw his middle finger up once more to the enraged raven haired man, sliding smoothly into the driver's seat when he had pulled his keys quickly out of his pocket and unlocked his car.

Ichigo ducked into the passenger seat, buckling himself in and gasping for breath as his teacher revved the engine into life, the car park seeming to shake and rumble with the deep purring sound as they tore down the road seconds later, ecstatic howls of laughter rippling from their throats as they made their escape.

Glancing up into the mirror they watched as their pursuer gradually faded away into the distance the further they drove off, the man flailing his arms and his harsh and colourful insults becoming drowned out over the noise of the car.

Ichigo glanced at his teacher, the teen almost unbelieving at the wild grin he saw on the man's lips – Grimmjow chuckling and clapping his hand against the orangette's in an ecstatic high five.

"Glad you were with me, Ichi. That probably wouldn't have been as fun otherwise." He said jovially. Ichigo snorted with laughter, turning his attention back to the front window.

"Whatever, you idiot. You better hope we don't get the police after us or something." He laughed. Grimmjow's eyes glinted with mischief.

"Now wouldn't  _that_ be somethin'..."

Ichigo felt his brows raise.

"You can't be serious." He murmured, glancing warily back at the blue haired man next to him. He didn't fancy today turning into a run from the authorities somehow. It wouldn't fare well on his sensei's school record, that's for sure.

Grimmjow chuckled, his smile softening.

"Kurosaki – there's times when I'm serious an' when I'm not. This just happens to be one of those times where I most definitely am." He stated proudly. Ichigo groaned, tempted to punch his friend in the arm. His teacher let loose another bark of laughter, ruffling the youth's hair once more as he looked back at the road.

"Relax, Ichi. We're ok. I'll take you back to my place fer a bit as I have some stuff I need to give back to ya. Then we can figure out what to do with the rest of the afternoon." He spoke up. Ichigo grumbled something incoherent in reply, though his grin didn't go unnoticed by Grimmjow. Chuckling once more, the blue haired man gazed fondly at the youth again before turning his attention back to the road, the pair falling into a comfortable silence.

* * *

A yawn left his throat as he plonked himself down on the couch, Ichigo reaching up and running his hand through his hair as he laid back further against the comfortable pillow. He waited, Grimmjow having opened the door and told the youth to make himself at home while he went to grab the parcel which the two had noticed was nestled on the teacher's front porch.

Wondering vaguely in the back of his mind at what the hell it could be, Ichigo settled on flicking on the large plasma screen TV, his eyes glazing over as he watched the snippets of the afternoon news.

A few moments had passed until the sound of Grimmjow's grumbled curses reached his ears, and the orangette turned his head to gaze in concern at his sensei as the blue haired man walked inside, shutting the door behind him as he carried a medium sized package in his hands.

The teen's brows rose faintly, a slight smile twitching on his lips as he gazed at the irritated expression on the man's face, Grimmjow heaving a sigh as he placed the package down on the kitchen counter top.

"You alright there?" Ichigo spoke up. Grimmjow turned his head to look at the youth, grinning and nodding as he glanced back at the parcel.

"Yeah, 'm all good. The fuck is this?" He replied, making to slide his car keys along the package tape and tearing it off. Ichigo pressed the mute button on the TV remote, jumping up from the couch and walking over, his curiosity having gotten the better of him. His brown eyes watched with amusement at Grimmjow's attempts to wrestle free the cardboard from the tape, and both teacher and student bent their heads over the contents when the box was finally opened.

"What the  _fuck_?!" Grimmjow exclaimed irately as he thrust his hand inside and pulled out the note neatly nestled atop a stack of papers. Papers which, as Ichigo began pulling them out, were identified as students' assignments. No sooner had his eyes glanced at the scrawled cursive on the note had Grimmjow's face darkened considerably.

"That son of a bitch…" He ground out through gritted teeth. Ichigo quickly looked up at him.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned. Grimmjow cussed loudly, showing Ichigo the note. The teen took it, his brows furrowing as he read the following few sentences.

_Jaegerjaquez-sensei,_

_It has come to my attention that you appear to be behind on some of your marking. To avoid any confrontation with Yamamoto-sensei at the next teacher's meeting which, allow me to remind you, will be held in the staff room on the twenty-fourth at 5pm_ _sharp_ _,_   _I have taken the liberty to collect all remaining assignments from your office and send them to you. Perhaps you will find the motivation you need to complete them at home._

_Enjoy the day off,_

_Sousuke_

By the time he had finished reading, Ichigo's brows had risen so far above his hairline that he thought they might have hit the ceiling. He exhaled sharply, placing the note back down and crinkling his nose in disgust. He glanced back at his teacher.

"Is he really allowed to do that?" He asked, his tone incredulous. Grimmjow scoffed, running a hand through his messy blue locks.

"Unfortunately, he can. Fuckin' bastard. He likes to rub his worth in every opportunity he gets. The moment Yama-jii goes, he's gotta go too or else I'm quitting." The man grumbled. He took the note back. "Look at it! He underlined it and everything! Who  _does_ that?!" He exclaimed, tearing the paper up into shreds and chucking the remnants into the nearby bin.

"Yeah that's what I think of ya, dickhead." He grumbled again, sighing heavily and groaning as he locked his eyes on the stack of papers. Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck, chewing his lip in thought.

"Are you going to mark them or…?" He trailed off. Grimmjow rubbed his eyes, nodding and picking up the pile and walking over to the couch, setting the stack down on the coffee table and seating himself on the plush leather.

"Yeah… 'm gonna have to. Yama-jii will be on my ass if I don't. Christ, why'd it have to be  _today_?" He replied, his rough voice weary. Ichigo shoved his hands in his pockets, seating himself down next to his friend as the older man took a pen from the table, uncapping the lid and already working on picking up the first assignment. The orangette watched for a few moments, Ichigo's brown eyes taking in the posture of the man next to him; the methodical movement of hand carrying pen across the ink-marred page, the careful crease of the sensei's brows as they furrowed in concentration, and the narrowing of cyan eyes as they darted from one word to the next in quick succession.

The silence soon became uncomfortable, and Ichigo found himself itching for something to do. Anything at all to help.

He leant down, picking up the next piece of paper and grinning when his sensei lifted his head, Grimmjow eyeing the teen in stunned shock as the orangette settled back, picking up the spare pen from the table and chewing the tip of it as he too began reading the assignment in front of him.

"Sure ya know what you're doin' there, Kurosaki? Marking is hard work." The sensei grinned, chuckling as he fondly eyed the teen's own expression of concentration. Ichigo blinked, looking back up at the man.

"How hard can it be? Check for grammar, give it a tick or just throw it in the bin if it's boring as shit, am I right?" He teased. Grimmjow barked a laugh, returning to his own page.

"You'd make a good teacher yerself, Ichi." He smiled. Ichigo chuckled, falling silent once more as he continued to read what was, by all accounts, a rather poor piece of work. He cringed internally, finding it painful to try and piece together the unintelligible letters on the sheet which he assumed were meant to be words of some description. He glanced up at the student's name and sighed. This paper belonged to Keigo.

He was brought out of his reverie by the warmth of someone peering over his shoulder.

"He's started using emoticons in his essay, fer cryin' out loud. That kid needs help." Grimmjow muttered. Ichigo cast a sidewards glance at him, nodding in agreement as he began marking red circles and crossing out words on Keigo's assignment. Grimmjow seated himself back again, watching for a few more minutes before sitting up.

"I'll go get us some coffee. You sure you don't mind helping me out there?" He asked. Ichigo shook his head, smiling and turning the page over.

"Nup. I want to help so I might as well." The teen replied, shrugging his shoulders. Grimmjow flashed a wide grin and he nodded and walked back into the kitchen.

"Thanks Ichi. Where would I be without ya?" He called out, his voice muffled from the next room. Ichigo considered this, tempted to quip back with a smart retort but he decided against it at the last second.

He instead shook his head, rolling his eyes as he finished the last page of marking. He settled Keigo's assignment down, thinking to himself that his friend would be lucky if he passed English this semester. He picked up the next essay and smiled to himself when he recognised Rukia's familiar handwriting.

He vaguely wondered in the back of his mind what his friends' thoughts would be about him marking their work instead of his teacher. He repressed a snigger, chortling slightly when he envisioned Renji's reaction.

Movement sounded behind him and Ichigo grunted out his thanks when Grimmjow stepped over the couch, sliding himself down against the pillow and handing the orangette his coffee. He also handed him a piece of paper, and Ichigo's eyes widened when he saw his essay from yesterday in his hands, a large A+ marked on the top right hand corner. His smile was infectious as he lifted his head up, catching the proud grin on his teacher's face as Grimmjow watched.

"Holy shit, thank you!" Ichigo breathed. Grimmjow chuckled, giving a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders as he sipped from his coffee mug, kicking out his legs and crossing them over the table.

"No worries, Ichi. I really liked how you pulled those techniques off. I was gonna give this back to ya today anyway, so this seemed a good enough time to do it." He answered. Ichigo's cheeks were almost starting to hurt with how wide he was smiling, and he quickly sipped his coffee to try and calm himself down, sighing in content as the scent of freshly brewed caffeine hit his nose and helped him relax.

"So good to take a break." The teacher mumbled after a moment, changing the subject after chuckling further at the teen's reaction. Ichigo rose an eyebrow.

"These assignments aren't going to get marked by themselves, Grimm." He reminded the older man. Grimmjow scowled, his brows furrowing as he glanced first at the assignments, then back at the teen, his expression pleading. Ichigo returned the gaze coolly, the corners of his lips twitching into an amused grin.

"C'mon, Ichi… please?" Grimmjow pleaded, his expression hopeful. Ichigo rolled his eyes, sipping his coffee again.

"No way. Get this shit done and  _then_ you can take a break and go back to being a lazy asshole." The youth replied. Grimmjow snorted into his mug, sipping some of his own coffee again as he straightened back up.

"Fine, fine. Cheeky bastard." He replied, heaving a long sigh and yawning as he picked his pen back up. Ichigo smirked, the two falling into comfortable silence as they worked together on the stack of essays.

* * *

They had been working hard, heads down for the past two hours, the stack of assignments gradually thinning out until there were nothing more than a mere six sheets left. Through that time, and through the extra cups of coffee consumed, both Grimmjow and Ichigo had paused occasionally to exchange brief snippets of conversation over what they had just marked.

It felt nice, Ichigo thought. He found it somewhat comforting to be spending the day off like this. He also felt some great swelling of pride within himself at knowing that he was helping to better peoples' work. Though for some people like Keigo and Renji, help was probably the bare minimum of what they needed.

As he placed Renji's assignment on Shakespeare's  _Macbeth_  down on his 'completed' pile, Ichigo winced, hoping that Grimmjow didn't decide to look over and check.

 _Renji's gonna need so much more than help_ , the orangette thought to himself.

He almost had to stifle his laughter when Grimmjow rose an eyebrow, reaching over and picking up the paper. As he watched cyan eyes widen and the man's tanned complexion pale decidedly so much so that he looked like he was going to be sick, Ichigo had to turn his head away to grab the pillow.

 _He's gonna need to run for his life_.

His cackles against the pillow only grew louder when Grimmjow's whispered "what the fuck?!" reached his ears. He snorted, grinning widely when his teacher quickly dropped the paper back down on the table as if it had some sort of disease.

"Jesus Christ I'm never letting that kid anywhere a text book ever again!" The sensei exclaimed. Ichigo laughed harder, wiping his eyes and sniggering as he straightened himself back up.

"I was considering warning you about that, but I decided not to…" He spoke up cheerily when he had regained control of himself. Grimmjow's expression was thoroughly unamused.

"Bastard. That right there was an affront to the English language!" He grumbled out indignantly. "Writing an essay is one thing, but on fuckin'  _Shakespeare_  is another!" He finished, looking disturbed.

Ichigo scoffed, picking up the next assignment and beginning to mark Tatsuki's essay.

"Did you want me to bin it then?" He asked whilst he scanned his eyes over the first few sentences. He heard Grimmjow give a grunt of agreement, and the orangette rolled his eyes as he picked up Renji's work, scrunching it up and angling his wrist as he sent it sailing cleanly through the air into the bin near the wall.

Grimmjow's brows unfurrowed as he watched, his expression now turning thoughtful.

As Ichigo settled himself back down, offering a salute to Renji's failed work in the hopes that his redheaded friend wouldn't fail his final year of high school for the second time in a row, he paused and blinked as he looked back at the blue haired man.

"What?" He asked. Grimmjow looked back at him, a smile on his lips.

"Nice one, Ichi." He said. Ichigo laughed, picking the pen back up. Grimmjow chuckled, sighing and ruffling his hair with his hands as he lounged back.

"Actually that reminds me, I was gonna tell you somethin'." He spoke up again. Ichigo glanced at him as he turned the page on Tatsuki's work. He waited for the man to continue.

"'Fordt rang me after I left ya last week when we had that match. He said our basketball team could be offered a chance to play internationally over the next couple o' years." Grimmjow continued, his eyes glinting with excitement.

Ichigo's eyes widened, the orangette now turning his full attention to the sensei.

"Shit, really? That's amazing!"

Grimmjow grinned, nodding proudly.

"Damn right it is. Oh, we were also wanting to know if you'd be interested in playin' another game with us sometime." The English teacher continued.

Ichigo smiled, mulling this over in his head. Though there wasn't really any need to think too much about it, considering he found himself nodding enthusiastically like a primary schooler almost a split second later anyway.

Grimmjow barked a laugh, smiling widely as he reached out and placed a hand on the teen's shoulder.

"Ok, ok, calm down Ichi. Yer head will fall off." He chuckled. Ichigo ignored this, simply grinning in return.

"Sounds great! When can I meet up with you all again?" He asked. Grimmjow's brows rose.

"Christ, yer really eager about this aren't ya?" He mused. Ichigo nodded.

"Damn right I am! I had a lot of fun the other day and I wouldn't mind hanging out with you all a bit more. I mean, if you go international I'm probably never gonna see you again. You'll quit your job, you'll give up on teaching English, and then I'll be all by myself with Karin and Yuzu and I won't have anyone to pay my loan." Ichigo teased.

Grimmjow snorted a laugh.

"I wouldn't do that to ya, Ichi." He smiled. Ichigo's gaze turned quizzical. Grimmjow smiled a little wider.

"If anything, I'd force those guys to go play interstate while I stay here. To be honest… I prefer teaching. 'Sides, someone has to look after you." He finished, shrugging.

Ichigo fell silent, mulling the words over in his head. He felt another surge of gratitude flood him, seeming to reach his very cheeks if the sudden warmth rushing into them was anything to go by. He quickly looked away, picking up the last assignment from the table.

"Thank you." He mumbled.

He received a reassuring squeeze of his teacher's hand on his shoulder, the gesture relaying to the youth that Grimmjow definitely wasn't going to just up and leave him after all he'd done so far for him. He didn't need to respond with anything else, Ichigo feeling perfectly content to just sit here in their companionable silence.

The minutes passed once more, and soon enough all the assignments had been thoroughly marked. Downing the last of his coffee, Grimmjow's brows crinkled in thought.

"I'm gonna chuck off a text to 'Fordt askin' him what time's good for another match. Aizen-fuckin'-sensei can have all this shit back tomorrow morning. I may or may not leave a little thank you gift inside too while I'm at it…" As he said this, the blue haired man's smirk became wild.

Ichigo blinked, not even wanting to attempt to think of just what it was that his sensei was planning. It was better to just let him do as he pleased. Besides, anything involving Aizen blubbering around in shock and embarrassment was just too good an opportunity for him to pass up.

His attention was drawn once again when Grimmjow turned to look down at the orangette after picking up his phone, spending a few minutes typing something. The blue haired man's gaze was thoughtful, Grimmjow regarding the younger male carefully.

"Did you wanna go out somewhere to eat?" He asked.

Ichigo blinked, his mind momentarily going blank.

"Uhhh…" He said dumbly.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"Eat, Ichi. Eat. Y'know, the thing you do when you lift food to your mouth? Chew then swallow and repeat?" He smirked. Ichigo's expression was entirely unamused.

"Asshole." He grumbled. Grimmjow barked a laugh.

"Yeah I… guess. Where'd you have in mind?" Ichigo asked, brought out of his reverie as he scratched the back of his neck. Grimmjow considered this for a moment.

"There's a couple of good restaurants in town. I guess we can just go and see what one we like best." He shrugged. Ichigo smiled.

"That's mighty thoughtful of you, sensei." He spoke up cheerily. Grimmjow didn't respond with his standard issue "cheeky bastard" quip, instead he playfully cuffed the teen around the head, Ichigo ducking just in time and sniggering to himself.

"Alright you, that's enough. Let's go." He grunted out, straightening himself from the couch and eliciting a yawn as he did so. Ichigo's smile widened as he stood up, getting the circulation back in his legs as he paced to and fro momentarily. He swung his arms a little, waiting as his teacher grabbed his car keys and beckoned for the teen to follow him.

With smiles on their faces they made their way outside, eager to see what they could indulge themselves in for dinner that night.

* * *

People were everywhere, the early evening bustling with city life as Grimmjow and Ichigo walked down the city street, their eyes keenly glancing about to spy a restaurant which wasn't entirely packed.

Grimmjow's hand moved, carefully guiding Ichigo back as he took the teen by the arm to avoid the pair being squashed against the wall by a couple who had staggered drunkenly past the nearby street corner. Rolling his eyes and eliciting an irate grumble, Grimmjow then fixed the orangette with a wide grin as he jerked his head towards the Italian eatery two shops over.

"How about there? Looks pretty good. There's not a shit load of people from what I can see here, but there's enough to know that it's gotta be edible at least." The sensei spoke up. Ichigo craned his neck to glance over the taller man's shoulder – and he noticed this was indeed the case. The restaurant was furnished inside with walls painted in calm reds, blacks and the floor dotted with oak tables, and the smell of cooking wafting through the door when a few patrons opened it to step inside was beyond mouth-watering. Ichigo felt his stomach growl hungrily in protest and he shifted awkwardly – hoping that his friend hadn't heard.

"Sure." He managed, smiling at the taller man. Grimmjow chuckled, gently guiding the youth along and letting go of his arm the moment they approached the door.

"After you, Kurosaki." He spoke up cheerily, opening it. Ichigo snorted a laugh, entering and rubbing his hands appreciatively at the warmth which surrounded his body after the chilly night air of the streets. The rustic décor with its subdued hues met their eyes, teacher and student gazing with mild intrigue at the patrons laughing, chatting and eating their food – the air filled with the noisome sounds of plates, cutlery and glasses clinking, the waiters and customers conversing, and the jovial cheers and snippets of conversation from the kitchens at the back wall.

Some sort of music was playing in the background – something the pair assumed was Italian yet hard to place due to the loud foreground noise. Their attention was shifted away from this when a man approached – his form tall and seemingly well-built if the snug fit of his black shirt and pants around his body was anything to go by. His ice blue eyes regarded them lazily under hooded lids, the man's chin adorned with a small goatee and his wavy brown hair cascading gently over his broad shoulders.

"Evening, guys. You two eating in or going take away tonight?" He asked, his voice deep and smooth. Almost tired, Ichigo thought. Though he really couldn't blame the man since it looked like he'd been working all day.

"Eating in." Grimmjow replied. The waiter nodded, grabbing two menus from the side table and motioning for the pair to follow. They did so, edging and weaving their way past the patrons to where the brunet had beckoned towards a booth table in the corner. Nodding their thanks, Grimmjow and Ichigo accepted the menus, the waiter walking off after announcing he would return in a short while to take their order.

Ichigo glanced around him with lazy curiosity, a smile on his lips as he watched the other restaurant goers at their tables. A tapping on his arm drew his attention, and he was rewarded with a wide smirk and his blue haired sensei swatting the teen on the arm with the menu.

"Hurry up and pick already." He chuckled.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, taking the menu and glancing down at the list. His stomach became increasingly restless inside of him – the sumptuous listing of pizzas, pastas, salads and desserts calling to him and begging him to try them all.

Grimmjow watched the teen for a moment, the blue haired man eyeing with fond amusement the creasing of Ichigo's brows in concentration. The kid was really hungry – he could plainly see that. To be honest he didn't mind if the orangette wanted everything on the menu. Grimmjow had enough in his wallet to pay for the both of them anyway.

"That pizza looks fucking amazing." Ichigo mumbled. Grimmjow grinned, looking down at his own menu and murmuring in agreement at today's special – a triple layer pepperoni pizza with melted cheese inside the puffy crust of the pizza base.

Grimmjow's own stomach growled.

 _Goddamn I want me some of that_ , he thought appreciatively.

"Did you wanna order that one?" He asked. Ichigo nodded. Grimmjow chuckled, about to call over the tired looking waiter when he paused once more. He looked back at the orangette.

"Did you want anything to drink as well?" He asked casually. Ichigo blinked.

"Uhh… I'll have a soda I guess." The youth replied, shrugging his shoulders. Grimmjow quirked an eyebrow.

"Come on Ichi – yer almost an adult." He spoke up, a smug grin on his lips. Ichigo blinked again, raising an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Are you trying to get me drunk sensei?  _Really_?" He asked. Grimmjow waved it off.

"Nah, o' course I'm not! Christs's sake Ichi I'm not  _that_  much of an irresponsible asshole. All I'm sayin' is that since I'm paying you might as well live a little. Within reason o' course." He replied. Ichigo continued to study his blue haired friend for a moment longer, wondering whether the hell the man was serious or not.

 _I'm so going to regret this_ , he thought with an internal sigh. He gave a noncommittal grunt.

"Yeah, sure." He replied. Grimmjow smiled and looked up, the brown haired waiter already strolling over, pen and notepad in hand.

"You guys ready to decide or did you want a few more minutes?" The man droned out.

"Nah we're all good. We'll have the pizza special an' two beers to start with." Grimmjow spoke up. The waiter nodded, sighing a little to himself as he wrote out the order.

"'K then. They won't be long." He rumbled, stuffing the paper into his apron pocket and strolling back off towards the kitchens.

Grimmjow gave a satisfied smile, turning to face the orangette and leaning back against the booth, stretching his legs out against the opposite leather chair.

"Real cheery bloke, that one." He mumbled. Ichigo laughed, glancing once more around at the warm cheerfulness of the surrounding restaurant. A few more families had entered, their waiter sprinting over to the front door to greet them.

"It's a really nice place actually. Hopefully the food's good." Ichigo spoke up conversationally. Grimmjow nodded his agreement.

"Well if it isn't there's always the beer. That'll make anything taste good." The sensei shrugged. Ichigo didn't reply, instead settling on not even wanting to try and make sense of what was going through the man's head. He retreated back into his own thoughts, staring absentmindedly at the empty wine glasses on the table as he ran his finger over the rim of the transparent glass.

He blinked when a hand came out and enclosed around his momentarily. He lifted his head to be greeted with the sight of bright cyan eyes gazing at him with a pointed expression.

"Oi, the food'll be out here in a minute. Don't get all mopey on me." Grimmjow chastised lightly. Ichigo smiled.

"I wasn't. Relax Grimm." He grinned. He was answered with another wide flash of teeth, his teacher nodding and settling back once again.

"Damn. School's back tomorrow." He groaned out after a moment as he ran his hands through his hair.

"Yep." Ichigo replied solemnly. Grimmjow's nose scrunched up.

"At least the marking's all done… but only having one day off is bullshit. Give me seven days a week and I'll be happy." He continued. Ichigo laughed.

"You really are a lazy son of a bitch aren't you?" He rose an eyebrow. Grimmjow nodded.

"Damn right I am, Kurosaki. Damn right I am." He replied. Ichigo was about to reply when the shuffling of feet from nearby drew his attention, their waiter waltzing back over carrying a wide plate filled with a large slab of bronzed red pizza – the crust beautifully golden and oozing from the cracks with deep yellow strings of cheese. The topping was a rich red array of meat – and the smell emanating from the meal was enough to make both men salivate within seconds.

"Fuck me that looks amazing." Grimmjow blurted out when the waiter set the food down. He was awarded with a rumbling laugh from the brunet as two glasses of frothing beer were placed onto the table afterwards.

"Enjoy your meal." He spoke up, imparting a nod to the two and sweeping back off.

Ichigo straightened up, his expression longing as he gazed adoringly at the sight before him. Grimmjow grinned, seeming satisfied as he reached out to grab a slice.

"Hurry up an' dig in already Ichi or there won't be any left." He spoke up cheerfully. Ichigo didn't need to be told twice – he nodded eagerly and made a dive for the first piece he laid his hands on, the pair falling into easy conversation as they began their meal.

* * *

The hours passed away like minutes – what at first was a bustling restaurant slowly morphing into something reminiscent of a ghost town, the silence almost overwhelming save for the casual clink of two glasses onto the tabletop before them.

Grimmjow and Ichigo glanced around, noticing that they were the last two patrons. With a yawn, Grimmjow straightened himself up, already making to stand from his seat. He grinned, glancing down at Ichigo, the orangette rubbing his eyes and blinking away the fatigue.

"Sorry I kept you out so late. C'mon, Ichi. You alright? I'll take ya back home." The teacher murmured quietly, Ichigo's brown eyes glazed and seeming to slip in and out of concentration. The teen nodded, mumbling something inaudible in response. The food had been fantastic, and his cheeks were aching from laughing so much – he couldn't remember the last time he had enjoyed himself to such an extent at dinner, every conceivable topic under the sun passing their lips as he and his English sensei conversed enthusiastically.

Though the only downside was that he felt a slight headache forming, and casting a sheepish glance towards his empty glass, he found that he had a very strong idea about what was contributing to that.

_Why did I drink so much?_

He sighed, standing slowly and gratefully accepting the help of his teacher as the blue haired man wrapped his arm firmly around the youth's back to steady him.

"You ok Ichi?" He asked, Grimmjow's blue eyes narrowed in concern. Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah… just stuffed is all. Thanks Grimm." He replied, managing a smile. Grimmjow didn't look entirely convinced but he let the matter slide, patting the orangette on the back and moving to take his wallet out of his jeans pocket.

"Alright let's get out of here." He spoke up, chuckling faintly and nodding to the waitress by the door. The sleepy looking brunet was gone, this new person instead a dark skinned woman with vibrant cropped blonde hair and three long plaits surrounding her face. She held out her hand to accept the cash the teacher handed her, her aquamarine eyes flickering over the computer screen and register as she withdrew their change.

"Thank you for coming. Enjoy your night." She spoke up, her voice low. Grimmjow nodded, pocketing the change.

"Cheers fer that. You too." He waved, Ichigo doing likewise and following suit as the taller man held open the glass door for him. The air was still chilled, though not unpleasantly so after the toasty warmth of the restaurant as the pair began their trek down the streets which were mercifully less packed than they had been some hours previously.

With another yawn Grimmjow gave a content sigh, rubbing his stomach.

"That was fucking delicious." He announced. Ichigo smiled.

"Pretty good idea of yours, sensei." He spoke softly. Grimmjow scoffed.

"I always have good ideas, ya cheeky bastard. Ok, so maybe getting drunk one night with Hirako an' playin' a game of 'Pin the Tail on Yama's Beard' in the staff room after school  _wasn't_ , but it was so fuckin' worth it. Granz even joined in and got Urahara to pretend to be Yama-jii." He chortled at the memory, his eyes glazing over with a fond expression.

Despite his headache Ichigo found himself cackling with laughter.

"What?!" He gasped. Grimmjow flashed a wide smile.

"A perfect plan – excellently executed by a fantastic group o' guys. Though remind me to never let them touch that much alcohol again. Hirako went pub crawlin' an' got himself locked up for the night an' his wife had to bail him out the next day. Hiyori's not one fer takin' bullshit from that idiot. I don't know what happened to Urahara, but apparently Kurotsuchi was fairly angry the next day after his lab equipment had been mysteriously ransacked an' replaced with pictures stating the 'explicit supremacy of physics over chemistry'. An' I mean  _explicit_." Grimmjow paused, shuddering. "Granz was a lot easier to handle thank GOD. He's a cheerful enough bloke as it is and an even happier drunk, but the poor bastard fell asleep almost instantly an' I had to call 'Fordt over to pick him up. Blondie wasn't impressed but at least Szayel had shut up fer once. I mean he's one of my closest friends but god fucking damn he talks far too much." He chuckled.

Ichigo snorted with laughter, finding that he was having no difficulty envisioning this whatsoever.

"Are you saying 'Pin the Tail on Yama's Beard' is a thing now?" He asked casually. Grimmjow scoffed.

"It was always a thing." He waved it off. Ichigo laughed again, sighing as he went to grip his head. Grimmjow noticed, his expression darkening slightly.

"Oi, Ichi… you sure yer alright?" He asked, his voice lowered in concern. Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah… just a headache is all." He mumbled. Grimmjow sighed.

"I probably shouldn't have ordered those extra rounds of booze. Sorry kid." He muttered. Ichigo shook his head.

"Why are you apologising?" He asked. Grimmjow thrust his hands into his pockets, a momentarily uncomfortable look coming into his eyes.

"I dunno I just… I just am. I guess it's been so long since I've actually had someone so enjoyable around. Like an equal, y'know?" He mumbled. Ichigo stopped walking, his brown eyes widening slightly at his teacher's words.

Grimmjow stopped, looking back and frowning.

"What?" He blinked.

Ichigo didn't respond immediately – though he felt himself flush slightly at the confession. A flood of unexpected pride washed over him, and he quickly looked away when he caught cyan eyes still focused intently on him. He cleared his throat, resuming his pace once more.

"N-nothing. Likewise I guess." He stammered. He was roused from his embarrassment by a warm hand closing around his wrist, Grimmjow rolling his eyes and grinning once again as he guided the teen along.

"C'mon Ichi, yer drunk." He chastised. Ichigo grumbled.

"No I'm not." He retorted. Grimmjow scoffed once more.

"Yer arguin' with me. You definitely are."

"I always argue with you."

Grimmjow's brows bristled at this comment.

"Dammit." He muttered under his breath. Ichigo chuckled, continuing to allow himself to be pulled gently along, thoroughly enjoying the warmth and the close proximity of the man next to him.

He heard Grimmjow grumble something about his "fucking car keys", the man rifling around in his pockets for them as they approached the car some few minutes later. With a triumphant shout of approval the older man pulled them out, unlocking the doors and helping Ichigo into the passenger seat, the English sensei soon getting in himself and revving the engine.

As they tore down the road the orangette felt an early sleep come upon him, his eyelids drooping closed despite his attempts to stay awake. Alternative rock music was playing over the radio softly in the background, Grimmjow not really paying attention to it whilst he kept his concentration on the road.

The streetlights blurred in front of Ichigo's eyes, mingling with the glittering raindrops pattering gently against the window. Ichigo heaved a barely noticeable sigh, closing his eyes.

He fell asleep within seconds.

Grimmjow blinked, turning his head to look at the orangette momentarily. A soft smile crossed his lips, the teacher chuckling as he glanced back to the road.

 _Real cute, Kurosaki_.

He hummed along absentmindedly to the song playing, tapping his thumbs against the steering wheel in time with the drum beats over the radio. He didn't think of anything else except making sure the kid got a decent night's sleep.

And so it was with a heavy sigh that he pulled into the driveway of Ichigo's new home some fifteen minutes later, the rain having thankfully passed on the drive. The car rumbled to a halt, Grimmjow not bothering to remove the key from the ignition as he got out, walking around to the other side and opening the passenger door. Ichigo was still asleep, the teen's boyish face half hidden against his shoulder, his chest rising and falling softly in time with his slow breathing.

Grimmjow watched for a moment, a smile quirking at the corners of his lips. He reached out, gently ruffling Ichigo's hair and enjoying the feel of those soft orange locks as they slipped through his fingers.

"C'mon Ichi. We're here." He said softly. Ichigo murmured something, his eyes fluttering open. He made a weak attempt to bat the man's hand away. Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"Yo, Kurosaki. Hurry up." He repeated, raising an eyebrow. Ichigo mumbled again, stretching and stifling a lengthy yawn as he straightened himself slowly. He blinked, clearing the sleep from his vision.

"We here already?" He blurted out. Grimmjow scoffed.

"Nah I just decided to crash some random's front yard." He retorted, stepping back and waiting for Ichigo to get out. Ichigo snorted, finally waking himself enough to stand up.

"Somehow I don't doubt that." He replied. Grimmjow paused, a thoughtful expression entering his eyes. Ichigo felt his jaw drop.

"You're not actually going to…" He trailed off warily. Grimmjow's grin became sly.

"Well ya see, there's this bitch of a neighbour I have who can't keep his fuckin' voice down when he bangs his wife every weekend an' I thought I'd discreetly interrupt them an' tell 'em to put a gag in it… seems like the perfect way to do that…" He began. Ichigo held up a hand, patting his teacher on the shoulder.

"I don't wanna know, Jaegerjaquez." He spoke up. Grimmjow blinked.

"Who died an' made you the king of sass?" He asked incredulously. Ichigo shrugged, grinning as he made his way to the front door, gripping his head as he did so. He clenched his teeth; he'd definitely had a bit more to drink than he had originally thought.

 _Serves me right_ , he thought bitterly.

He felt a hand on his back and he instinctively leant into the man's touch, gratefully accepting the help as he continued to the door.

"I really am sorry for allowin' you to drink that much. Though you still seem sober so it's not as bad as I thought." Grimmjow spoke up from beside him. Ichigo nodded faintly. Aside from the pounding in his head he could still think clearly. That was something, he supposed.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't realise there was a step in front of him. He tripped, crying out as he lost his balance momentarily. Grimmjow cussed, reaching out and pulling the orangette back towards him, sighing as he helped steady the teen.

"Easy there, Ichi. I s'pose I'd better walk you inside. You'd probably knock over somethin' awful." He muttered, patting the youth's back.

"Fuck, 'm sorry." Ichigo apologised from where his head was buried against Grimmjow's chest. The teacher sighed again.

"It's alright. You got your keys on ya?" He asked. Ichigo nodded, pulling back and fumbling around his pockets. Grimmjow waited patiently, watching the younger man for a moment. He frowned in confusion when Ichigo had paused.

"What's wrong?" He queried.

Ichigo's reply was so quiet he had to strain to hear the words that fell from his lips.

"I'm gonna regret this in the morning, aren't I?"

Grimmjow smiled faintly.

"Depends how bad you feel now I guess. Drinkin' water helps. It's probably a good idea to dilute that alcohol in yer blood." He shrugged.

Ichigo grunted something in reply.

"Yeah that too I guess." The teen mumbled. Grimmjow's brow rose higher.

"You normally get all like this when you've had somethin' to drink?" He asked. Ichigo raised his head, his cheeks flushed.

"N-no." He stammered. Grimmjow looked sceptical, taking the keys from his friend's hand and unlocking the front door.

"Sure you don't. Whatever. I ain't in the mood for this shit right now, ok? Maybe at school tomorrow." He answered, his rough voice now laced with irritation.

"Thanks. For tonight." Ichigo muttered, reaching up a hand and rubbing the back of his neck. Grimmjow nodded, turning back to hand his keys to him.

"Anytime, Ichi. Just let me know if you wanna do somethin' like this again, yeah?" He replied. Ichigo nodded, his lips twitching with a faint smile.

"Yeah… sure… ok." He continued to mumble. Grimmjow looked at him again.

_He's really drunk. Fuckin' hell I need to look out for 'im more._

"Yeah so uh… call me an'… we can go out again. I dunno." He shrugged, running a hand through his tousled locks. He almost winced at how cheesy that sounded.

 _Shit. Now I think_ I'M  _the one who's had too much to drink_.

He looked back down at Ichigo, noticing some form of conflict in those warm brown eyes as the youth absentmindedly chewed his bottom lip. He appeared to be mulling something over in his brain.

"I really have had too much to drink. It's funny, my vision's kinda blurry right now." The orangette muttered. Grimmjow straightened himself up.

"C'mon, we need to get you inside. Hold onto me." He spoke up, wrapping an arm around the teen's shoulder and guiding Ichigo's other arm around his own. Ichigo complied, carefully navigating himself forward with his teacher's help.

"Best that you don't uh… say a word of this to any other teacher at school, yeah? Granz would probably be cool with it but seriously don't tell him, even if yer all buddy-buddy with him. He can give a royal ass kicking I can tell ya that. Made me look a right idiot in front of his brother on the courts one time. 'Fordt wouldn't let me live it down." The blue haired man admitted sheepishly.

Ichigo sighed, hearing the low murmur of the man's voice yet not really paying attention to what he was saying. So many jumbled thoughts were floating around in his brain, and he found that it was all he could do to just remain upright. He held onto his teacher tighter, his legs threatening to give way from under him. He knew his cheeks were flushed red – hell he could feel it alright.

Beside him Grimmjow continued to talk, saying something or other Ichigo had an inkling was school related. He interrupted him.

"Grimm… just… shut up for a moment." He mumbled. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, hoisting Ichigo's arm further over his shoulder as they ambled towards the stairs, the house almost pitch black save for the glow of the streetlights outside.

"Brat." The teacher grumbled. "Mighty polite of ya."

Ichigo's cheeks flushed brighter. He didn't know if it was from embarrassment or anger, but he definitely knew the alcohol wasn't helping.

"You talk too much." He muttered, smiling as he removed his arm from around his teacher's neck. Grimmjow was about to throw back a smart retort when Ichigo stumbled and almost tripped forwards again, and just as he was about to reach out and steady him once more he found himself frozen in place, his body going completely numb when the distinct feel of warm lips collided with his own.

_Wh—_

He wasn't even able to finish his thought, Grimmjow's heart hammering quickly inside his chest, his blood turning to ice inside his veins.

"I-Ichi—mmph—"

Ichigo ignored him, his mouth parting momentarily to return once more to warm firm lips, his teacher's protest going unheeded as it was swallowed softly by the youth's mouth. He tasted alcohol and something else which was distinctly his teacher, warm and heavy and somehow utterly intoxicating to him in his current state of mind.

His lips met their mark once again, sometimes sloppy yet mostly accurate, the youth overcome with nothing but the urge for more. He reached up, trailing hands up Grimmjow's neck, his fingers lacing gently through locks of bright blue hair.

Grimmjow's eyes were wide; he didn't know what was happening – all rational thought had escaped him the moment the teen had kissed him.

He blinked, a horrified gasp parting his lips, his hands twitching from where his arms were frozen stiff by his sides.

_What the... he… he's actually…_

He felt hands tug through his hair, his lips once more assaulted by the distinct sweetness of the other's mouth. He almost closed his eyes, something in the back of his mind telling him to give in, to respond in some way. It was then that his brain suddenly found its ability to think and the teacher quickly reached up, tearing the kid's hands away from his neck and shoving the orangette off of him.

He was panting quickly, his mind in overdrive, Grimmjow's expression torn with fear, repulsion and something else Ichigo couldn't make out in this light. His cheeks flushed brighter, the youth only now realising what the hell he'd just done.

_What… what did… I… I just… I…_

He felt his stomach drop from inside of him, his body going rigid. His heart hammered away in his chest, his mind fogged. He licked his lips then felt sick, so many twisted, disgusting thoughts swirling through the teen's mind that he thought he would vomit.

"Wh-what the fuck was that?!" Grimmjow's voice was hoarse, his chest heaving as he panted, his pupils contracted in horror. "What the  _sweet fucking shit was that, Kurosaki?!_ "

Ichigo winced as the man's barely contained yell tore through his ears. He pulled back further, gripping his head and trying to swallow down the sickening waves of nausea flooding him.

"I… I don't know I… oh god…" He whispered.

Grimmjow backed up further, putting distance between him and the orangette. He growled at himself, his skin prickling with goose bumps as he willed his body to regain control of itself. Arousal and disgust pooled in his stomach, his feeling of self-loathing growing even more at the fact that he had almost  _enjoyed_ that!

"Ichi… just… don't. Don't…  _don't_!" He almost yelled, keeping his voice as loud as possible without running the risk of waking up Ichigo's sisters who were sleeping in their room above them. His expression was lethal. Ichigo winced, his eyes blurring with angry tears.

"Yeah, so what? You think I'm not as fucking horrified by that as you are?!" He bit back in retort. Grimmjow took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

"Just… go up to yer room. I'll see you tomorrow at school." He mumbled. Ichigo was silent for a long moment.

"That's it, isn't it? Gee… here I was thinking I actually meant something to you." He growled out. Grimmjow blinked.

" _What?_ " He asked incredulously. Ichigo's eyes narrowed.

"I feel just as sick about that as you do, but it's one thing to just completely push me aside like that!" His voice rose.

Grimmjow didn't know whether to laugh or punch the wall.

"Kurosaki, yer fuckin' drunk! Just get some sleep alright?! I don't wanna hear any more about this! It's late at night, yer confused, I'm fully to blame, an' everythin' just happened so fucking fast I don't know what way is up anymore!" He hissed. "Of course you mean somethin' to me! But that doesn't give you the right to fuckin' abuse that an' take advantage of it! How else was I supposed to react? You don't just pull somethin' like that with someone an' expect them to go along with it!"

Ichigo laughed, the sound strained as he ran a hand over his forehead.

"But you were almost about to." He pointed out.

Grimmjow froze.

 _Shit_.

"Shut up, Ichi… shut the fuck up…" He said, his voice low in warning. Ichigo's eyes narrowed.

"Or else what?" He replied.

For once, Grimmjow couldn't think of anything to retort with. And Ichigo knew it, too. He folded his arms over his chest, waiting patiently.

"Go on then. I'm waiting." He said quietly, his expression now echoing hurt. Pain. Suffering.

That damn look cut through Grimmjow's heart like a knife.

"Shit… don't start… don't fucking start…" He pleaded, his voice a whisper. "You don't know what I…" He swallowed thickly, unable to finish.

"Don't know what you what?" Ichigo's voice was hard. Grimmjow cussed loudly.

"Just – shut up!" He growled, reaching forwards and roughly seizing Ichigo's hair, the teen's brown eyes wide in a flash of fear before a noise of surprise left him, his teacher leaning down and covering his lips firmly with his own once again.

His emotions were all over the place, Ichigo unable to say, think or do anything except close his eyes and give in to the feel of his mouth being taken by his sensei's – Grimmjow continuing to grip the youth's hair as he slid his lips in quick succession over the younger man's, a faint growl of satisfaction coursing from his throat when he was met with an eager response.

Arms trailed down to the teen's neck, Grimmjow momentarily lost in the moment as their pace gradually became slower, each taste of mouth against mouth fogging their minds. A soft sound, almost a moan, passed Ichigo's lips, and it only served to make Grimmjow hold onto him tighter, his mouth swiftly seeking more. Pain, hurt, sorrow, acceptance… he felt it all – what was at first angry and frightened became slow and deep, both men soon finding themselves lost as the sound of their lips meeting pressed against their ears. Ichigo's hands snaked back up to the taller man's hair, fisting gently. Grimmjow felt moist droplets against his hand, and as he trailed his thumb up to the teen's chin, he wiped away the remnant of the tear which had fallen down.

"Grimm..." The teacher's name was gasped softly from Ichigo's lips as the orangette tilted his head back against the wall, feeling lips and fingers slowly trail from his moist mouth down towards his chin and what was visible of the flesh of his neck above his shirt collar. He shivered, panting softly as the butterfly kisses made his skin prickle and his eyelids flutter. He gripped blue locks tighter. In doing so Grimmjow had stepped closer, his muscled body pressing flush against the teen's lithe form as he sought more of Ichigo's sweet neck and lips to devour gently with his mouth, his mind fogged by the quickly forming lust now taking almost full control of his senses. The teacher groaned when he felt the other's chest slide against his, their breaths heavy when lips trailed back up to connect quickly once again.

A swelling fire in the pit of his belly, soon raging and becoming unbearably hot the lower it surged downwards suddenly awoke him from his stupor, Grimmjow quickly pulling back once more, his head feeling dizzy from the lack of oxygen as he panted for air.

Ichigo's expression was similarly shocked, the teen seeming to be lulled back towards the shocking reality of what had just happened. He locked eyes with his teacher, uncertain as to what he would do next.

He only hoped the man wouldn't notice the full extent of what that moment had done to him, the youth's arousal painfully evident.

"Why?" He croaked. Grimmjow blinked, his attention drawn back towards the youth. "Why did you do that? Why did you turn me away and then… then…" Ichigo's features were tormented.

Grimmjow visibly paled.

"I don't know… shit Ichi, I don't know…" He whispered. "It's not 'cos I don't like you – I do! But I… I just… it… we can't. We just can't ok?"

Ichigo blinked, staring incredulously at the man.

"What is your problem? 'We just can't'? Didn't we just then? I get it… you're afraid that you just learnt that one of your students is gay, is that it?" The teen hissed.

Grimmjow's expression darkened.

"No. Hell we both know I'm not exactly sittin' on the right side of the fence either. It's just…" He trailed off.

"Just what, Grimmjow?" Ichigo pressed.

"I'm yer  _teacher_ , Ichi! Christ's sake this is so far against school protocol I don't even—"

"Since when have you ever followed the rules though?" Ichigo pressed again. Grimmjow paused, closing his eyes as he ran a hand desperately through his hair.

"Just… get some sleep. I'm done. It was a mistake. A stupid fuckin' drunken mistake. We'll just put that behind us an' I'll… I'll see you at school tomorrow. Get rid of that hangover." He mumbled, lifting his hand in a wave and stumbling out of the house.

Ichigo was left gazing in shock, his emotions which had been feeling so elated just moments previously had now plummeted to what felt like the very depths of hell around him. He could only stare, outrage and anger coursing through his mind as Grimmjow just  _left_ , his car rumbling down the driveway some few seconds later.

He was already gone.

His breathing coming out in harsh pants, Ichigo tore up the stairs, tears streaming down his cheeks as he slammed the door shut to his room, not even caring if he awoke Karin and Yuzu in the process.

_How could I be so STUPID?!_

He cried out, lifting his hand back and colliding his fist with the wall, even as he sank down the floor and curled in on himself as his whole world came spiralling down around him.


	13. It's a Long Road to Forgiveness

Shit.

Shit, shit,  _SHIT!_

His hand flew out, his knuckles sharply colliding with the wooden table before him. He growled, his mind far too preoccupied with its raging guilt to even spare a moment's notice towards the brief tingles of pain now shooting through his fingers.

He clenched his teeth, his eyes squeezing shut as he ran a hand over his sweating forehead.

_Shit…_

He collapsed down onto the softness of the couch, Grimmjow's body reeling with disgust, his very skin seeming to crawl.

_What the fuck have I just done?!_

Any attempt to make sense of what had just happened at Ichigo's house was hastily shoved to the back of his mind, the English teacher trying to the best of his quickly waning ability to forget about it and blame it on the alcohol, suppressed hormones, work-related stress…  _anything_  else except that orange haired teen who had fucking  _kissed_ him for no goddamn fucking reason!

Bile threatened to rise in his throat.

_I wasn't exactly holdin' back either…_

With a loud groan he fell against the pillows, but not before sparing another infuriated punch towards the coffee table, the television remotes rattling with the force of the blow.

His emotions were all over the place – like some fucking school girl going loco over her nails or hair or her failed date with some high school heartthrob. He tried to take a deep breath, anything to steady himself. It wasn't working, Grimmjow despairingly finding himself almost on the brink of hyperventilation.

_What have I just done…_

It wasn't like this had been the first time something like this had happened, however those circumstances were by far  _quite_ different back when he was in high school. Nowadays he was known for being the rebellious teacher, but there was a fine line when it came to how many school rules to overthrow. And he had just crossed each and every fucking line in existence.

_I'm so sorry Ichi…_

And dear god  _was_ he.

Gasps for breath soon morphed into strangled growls mixed with pending tears of frustration. He hadn't been so out of control with himself since he was a child. Quickly tearing himself up from the couch he stumbled in towards the kitchen, his hand wildly flying towards the light on the wall. He ignored the stabbing in his eyeballs from the bright light as it suddenly flooded all around him, the teacher making a desperate beeline towards his fridge.

Opening it he reached down and made to pull out some cold water, but decided against it when he noticed the vodka. Hoping it would make him drunk enough to pass out so he could forget about all this he grabbed that instead.

He hoped he would never have to fall back on this method – but he just couldn't bring himself to throw the fucking thing out. He didn't know what possessed him to keep it, but as he tore off the cap and downed three mouthfuls, the wild burn of the fiery liquid flaming against his throat and dulling his raging nerves somewhat, he found that he finally knew just why he did.

Coughing as he tried to down some more gulps in quick succession he bent over, wheezing for breath as he waited for the stinging blurriness in his vision to subside, his head dizzying from the lack of oxygen as he choked.

Soon recovering enough to stop going blue in the face he slammed the bottle down against the kitchen table. He ran a hand over his eyes, his limbs shaking.

Feeling the familiar numbing of the alcohol working through his bloodstream he took another deep breath, finally slowing down enough to try and make some sense of the exceedingly dire situation he now found himself in.

His mind was plagued once more by the overwhelming guilt and self-loathing pushing mercilessly at him.

_Christ…_ _I'm a monster. I really am a goddamn monster._

He squeezed his eyes shut once again.

_I shouldn't have left him like that. I said I'd help him! How the fuck is actin' like that doing anything to_ HELP  _the kid?!_

At this point Grimmjow could have rammed his head against the nearby wall.

"I deserve to be hated… by every fuckin' god on the planet I deserve to be locked away in a cell fer the rest of my miserable life." He growled under his breath.

Somehow that idea appealed greatly to him at this moment in time. He was all set to call the police himself when he was stopped by his phone ringing from the lounge room. He tensed up.

Who the hell was calling him?

Biting back the fresh upsurge of bile in his throat he slowly made his way back out, being sure to take the vodka with him. His heart was racing – he knew it wouldn't be Ichigo calling, hell, he'd be lucky if the kid wanted to talk to him ever again. Some part of him wondered if it actually  _was_ the police. Slowly bending down he glanced at the caller name on the screen.

He let out a large sigh of relief. It was Yylfordt.

Somehow managing to keep his fingers from trembling long enough to pick up the bloody thing, he pressed his phone against his ear, steeling himself before speaking.

"'Fordt?" He was surprised his voice was steady.

"Yo, Jaegerjaquez. I tried to call you earlier on. Where were you man? You ok?" The blond's voice was concerned on the other end, though slightly agitated at the same time. Grimmjow sighed, the sound of his friend talking doing wonders to his distressed mental state. Though the feeling of disgust only peaked further when he reminded himself that he didn't deserve anything good to happen to him for the next fucking century and a bit.

"Yeah… just had a… busy night." The teacher managed out, sitting himself back down on the couch. There was a distinct pause on the other end.

"What happened?"

Grimmjow could have kicked himself in the head.

_Way to arouse suspicion, startin' off by sayin' somethin' like that, Jaegerjaquez._

"Nothin' 'Fordt I just… I dunno. Had a lot of stuff to do. Stressful stuff, y'know?" He replied. He knew his friend wouldn't buy it, not for a single second. But if there was one thing Yylfordt respected, it was one's privacy. He would thankfully let it slide – something Grimmjow was eternally grateful to the younger man for.

There was another brief pause.

"Ok then. It's cool. If you want more company to rant to than that bottle of vodka in front of you though, I'm right here Grimm." The blond's smooth voice carried a hint of amusement towards the end. Despite himself Grimmjow chuckled.

"You know me too well, 'Fordt." He mused, casting a quick glance at the bottle of alcohol on the table.

His friend laughed.

"Well I've known you for pretty much my whole life. I s'pose I'd kinda have to." He answered.

Grimmjow cracked a tired smile.

"Then you'd know I'm not the 'sit down an' talk about my feelings' type o' guy. What the hell possessed you to even say that, Blondie? Is Szayel there? Give him the phone so I can verbally kick him up the ass." He scoffed.

Grimmjow's smile grew wider when he heard Yylfordt's bark of laughter on the other end, followed by a slightly muffled call of "my ass is fine the way it is, thank you" from a voice slightly smoother and lower than Yylfordt's. Grimmjow suppressed a snort.

"You've got me on loudspeaker, haven't ya 'Fordt?" He asked. He could only imagine the cocky grin adorning his friend's face at that second.

"Uh-huh." The blond replied cheerily. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, sighing as he went to grab the bottle from the table once more.

"Real cute." He grumbled.

"Speaking of cute I heard that Aizen pulled a fast one on you today." It was Szayel who spoke up this time, the man having evidently walked towards the phone and taken it from his brother. Grimmjow cussed under his breath. With all that distraction about Ichigo he'd momentarily forgotten about that other little 'problem' he had.

"Yeah, sure did. Sent me all my fuckin' assignments –  _delivered_ them, mind you! – to my door an' put a note an' everything sayin' I'd hopefully find the motivation to finish them off at home! The prick made it all fancy looking too and underlined shit like I'm a fuckin' pre-schooler!" He growled.

There was a sharp exhalation of breath on the other line.

"Jesus… you got them finished eventually though, right?" The pink haired man asked sternly. Grimmjow rolled his eyes again.

"Yes I did. What are you, my fuckin' mother? Y'know I'm tempted to side with Hirako an' say that you  _definitely_ need to get out more if marking is all you think about, Szay. Maybe get yourself laid or something, I dunno." He shrugged.

"Very funny. And if you let me finish, you would have learnt that I was about to offer some friendly suggestions for getting back at him for that unlawful misconduct." His friend drawled, sounding entirely unamused.

Grimmjow leant back further against the couch, his brows raising faintly.

"Well, well, well. What brought that up? Aizen dump extra work on you too?" He asked.

"No. But I see the way he treats you and to be honest I was going to talk to Yamamoto-sensei about it tomorrow morning." The Biology teacher admitted. Grimmjow was at a loss for words.

"That's mighty sweet of ya, Granz. I'll buy you a beer next time we go out." He spoke up cheerfully. He heard the man reply with a scoff.

"As much as I'd like to accept I think it would be better if you made that offer when you don't have a bottle already in your hands." He chastised light-heartedly.

Grimmjow blinked.

_Damn. Smart bastard._

He quickly placed the vodka bottle back down on the table and was about to respond with a quip of his own when something stopped him, Grimmjow frowning momentarily.

"Hey… Szayel…" He asked cautiously.

"Hmm?"

"How did you know Aizen sent out those assignments to me?"

There was a brief pause.

"I have my sources..." The pink haired man replied, somewhat mysteriously. Grimmjow groaned, pressing his palm to his forehead.

"Stop fuckin' with me, Pinky. I got a killer enough headache as it is." He sighed. He heard laughter in response.

"Aizen was ranting to everyone in the staff room yesterday that he was planning on sending you your assignments back. You happy now? Also drink some water and take some aspirin. Or knock yourself unconscious if your headache is that bad – either will work." The Biology teacher replied cheerfully. Grimmjow grunted – that didn't sound like such a bad idea actually.

"'Fordt, kindly remove yer brother from the phone unless he wants me comin' over there right this second and literally kicking him up the ass instead." He called out. Sniggers sounded over the phone and the sound of it being passed over to someone else crackled over the speakers.

"Grimmjow, I'm beginning to think you have a somewhat odd obsession with my ass." Szayel's parting words sounded seconds later, Grimmjow grinning and firing his middle finger against the phone even though he knew neither of the twins would see it.

"It's lovely, Szay. Which is more than I can say fer the rest of ya." He retorted. He heard a snort of laughter and Yylfordt's voice over the speaker seconds later.

"I think you hurt his feelings." The blond chuckled. Grimmjow smiled, running a hand over his forehead again.

"He'll get over it. Y'know I can always count on you two to make me feel less crap than normal, so cheers. I'll definitely buy you both rounds the next time I see ya." He sighed. There was a thoughtful pause.

"Sounds good. But in all honesty though… you  _will_ tell me if there's something not right over there… won't you? You've only sounded this upset about something once before, and that was back in high school. It scares me, to tell the truth." Yylfordt spoke slowly, his voice lowered.

Grimmjow reached back for the vodka bottle, sighing heavily as he went to take a sip. Waiting for the familiar burning to run down his throat he placed the bottle back on the table once again.

"Yeah… it was pretty bad. But I don't wanna talk about it. Thanks though…" He mumbled. He could almost imagine his friend nodding his understanding.

"Alright then. Oh, so that match you were asking about earlier. I'm free next Sunday if you and Ichi wanted to tag along." Yylfordt said cheerily as he changed the subject.

At the mention of the basketball match and Ichigo's name, Grimmjow felt a sharp pain enter his chest as swiftly as a kick to the gut.

He suppressed the urge to down the entire contents of the vodka.

"Really? I'll have a look… I… dunno about Ichi but I'll… ask him." He managed out. Inside he was desperately trying to drown the nagging guilt rising angrily in the core of his being, swirling its wrathful hatred to almost breaking point.

_He'd never want to see me again…_

He grit his teeth.

It was probably for the best.

There was another pause on the phone, followed by a lengthy sigh.

"Alright, I'll leave you to wallow in self-pity or whatever the fuck it is you do. G'night, Grimm. Put that vodka back in the fridge and knock yourself out. I actually agree with Szayel for once – that might just help you." Yylfordt said dismissively.

Grimmjow was momentarily at a loss for words.

He was about to retort when the sound of beeping signified that the blond had already hung up. Pulling his phone away from his ear and staring at it for a few moments, Grimmjow begrudgingly admitted himself to glancing around to find some blunt instrument to whack himself in the head with.

He buried his head in his hands, groaning faintly once more.

_Shit._

He gazed blearily at the alcohol, his stomach twisting uncomfortably inside of him at the thought of draining the rest of it off.

He didn't know what he could possibly say or do to make things better with the kid. Hell, he'd be lucky if he somehow still had his job the moment he entered school grounds tomorrow.

_I gotta make this right somehow. Jaegerjaquez, be a man an' fuckin' fix yer issues,_ he harshly berated himself.

It was easier said than done.

Wearily standing himself up from the couch he left the bottle and his phone on the table. To hell with it.

Beginning his ascent towards the stairs he ran a palm over his face.

_I'm such a fucking monster._

Not even that brief moment of mirth allowed him from speaking to his friends was enough to fully rid himself of the pain in his heart as he entered his room.

* * *

"Morning sensei!"

"Good morning, Jaegerjaquez-sensei."

"Mornin', teach'!"

"Fuck off."

Grimmjow didn't spare a moment's glance towards the startled and slightly horrified expressions on the kids' faces when those words passed his lips in an irritable growl. If he was in any other state of mind this morning, the English teacher would have found it somewhat amusing that he had just addressed some high school students in such a manner when he was walking into his classroom. But his head was killing him right now, and the pain from last night still hadn't successfully cleared away – even after a total knock out thanks to some sleeping tablets he had found lying around.

No, this morning he was feeling even worse than last night if humanly possible. He groaned under his breath as the bright sunlight exploded his retinas when he walked into his class, shielding his face momentarily with the back of his textbook.

The class didn't shut up either – his students continuing to raucously call out with enough noise to make his migraine threaten to come back again. They jumped when the loud sound of books being slammed onto the desk reverberated around the walls, the class immediately shushing down when they turned to see their teacher in what was, without a doubt, a  _very_ volatile mood.

Grimmjow grunted faintly, glad that something had drawn their attention for once and made them stop talking. He cast a sharp glance around the class, eyeing the students. He felt his stomach lurch uncomfortably when he noted that all students were present… except for one.

He expected it of course, but to be faced with the reality that Ichigo was not seated in his usual spot by the window, his head of bright orange hair in fact not visible at all amongst the rest of the class served to make Grimmjow wish he could just die in a hole already so he wouldn't have to live with the pain tearing through his chest.

_Christ._

He sighed.

_I really fucked him over._

He cleared his throat, attempting to hide himself behind the façade of a teacher simply having a bad morning and not in the mood to put up with any bullshit this lesson. He picked up the roll, calling out names and ticking them off. The minutes slowly passed, and the silence only seemed to intensify when he called out Ichigo's name just for the sake of keeping up appearances that he hadn't noticed his absence – only to be answered with nothing in return. He hastily continued, putting the book back down when he finished ticking off Sado Yasutora's attendance.

Seating himself on the edge of the desk, Grimmjow glanced around once again.

"Where's Kurosaki this morning, does anyone know?"

He already had some idea, but he wanted confirmation first.

Some of the kids glanced from one to another, then looked towards the window and the girl sitting near it. Kuchiki Rukia lifted her head to gaze at the sensei.

"He's feeling sick this morning or something. That's all he told me." She shrugged. Grimmjow nodded, feeling quite sick himself.

"I see. After class stay behind Kuchiki an' I'll hand you some work you can pass onto him." He called out, thankful he managed to keep his voice neutral. The girl nodded her head. Grimmjow sat up, walking around the desk towards the blackboard as he picked up a stub of chalk next to his textbook.

He grit his teeth, his fingers tightly gripping the chalk as he began writing out the title for today's notes. Behind him, the sound of books opening and chairs shifting filled his ears, alerting him to the class hastily making to copy down what was on the board.

For the first time in his five years of teaching he found that he really didn't have the heart to start class today. He mentally shook the guilt out of his mind.

_I just gotta get this shit done an' then I can leave early. Yeah. That's what I'll do_ , he thought to himself.

The more he wrote, the more he found his mind slipping.

_I can't just leave him like that…_

He grit his teeth again.

He knew he should give Ichigo some space – he  _had_  after all just made the kid's life an absolute wreck. If he showed up to talk to him now without giving him time to cool down he would only risk the teen blowing up in his face. But with a sinking heart he also knew that if he didn't try – didn't  _attempt_ to talk to him again… who knew what Ichigo would end up doing?

This thought gripped his mind in a retaining hold of pure fear, his blood turning to ice in his veins.

If he knew Ichigo… it would definitely be something drastic.

Visions of every nightmarish horror in existence flashed through the teacher's mind, his grip almost failing on the chalk.

_As soon as class ends I'm goin' over there to see him._

It was probably going to be fruitless, but he'd be damned if he didn't try and make things right again.

"Um… sensei?"

Grimmjow was brought out of his thoughts and he snapped back to reality when the timid call from one of the students sounded behind him. He blinked, the teacher turning his head to fix his eyes on who had spoken – some kid in the back row with cropped black hair. He couldn't remember his name.

"What?" He grunted out.

"You've been standing there spacing out for a while…" The student continued, his voice trembling a little in unease. Grimmjow blinked, now becoming acutely aware of everyone's gaze on him. He cleared his throat.

_Fuck me, I'm a real mess this morning_.

"Yeah, I know. I was tryin' to think of what to write next." He announced, refocusing his attention on the black board and continuing from where he left off.

His nerves were shot, his fingers continuing to tremble against the chalk. He cast a quick look towards the clock above him. Just an hour and a half left. He suppressed a groan.

_If I make it through the next 90 minutes it'll be a fucking miracle_ , he thought wearily.

He tried to ease his mind onto today's subject – information regarding the remaining topics for the last of the school term. Hopefully by boring himself to pieces he could use that as a distraction against his aching brain. It was worth a shot at least.

* * *

An hour and a half had long since passed and as he sat there on the leather couch in the staff room, Grimmjow found that he was feeling – if possible – worse than he had during the entire lesson. His shoulders were hunched over, his head buried in his hands. He was gazing unblinkingly at the carpet through the slits of his fingers, his eyes glazed over.

A half-drank cup of coffee was settled nearby, the liquid having gone cold some time ago.

Never before – not even once – had he found being unable to sit up, unable to even  _move_ so terrifying. He tried to control his breathing. His mind was swimming with doubts and raging guilt, preventing him from moving off of that couch so he could just get up and drive to Ichigo's place and check up on the kid. He had contemplated just sending him a text or calling him – but even then that brief attempt had gone to waste, the teacher only sliding his phone back into his jeans pocket the very second he had gone to take it out.

His mind continued to spin dizzyingly fast, so fast that he felt he couldn't even control his thoughts anymore.

_Why can't I just do this? Jesus Christ, what's happening to me?_

His breath hitched.

For someone so normally laid back, he found it ironic how he would start caring what people thought of him  _now_  of all times. But every time he thought of Ichigo's warm brown eyes narrowed in hate at him for all he had done… it was enough to make his throat go dry.

He didn't care if people had problems with him. But he  _did_ care if he was hated by perhaps the closest friend he had ever had. Not to mention someone he had sworn he would help. To say it 'made things worse' was a fucking understatement.

Loud conversation suddenly pooling into the once-silent staff room from the now open doorway drew Grimmjow's attention faintly, the teacher blinking and slowly lifting his head when someone had walked over and parked themselves lazily down on the couch next to him. He was met with blond hair and a flash of white teeth, grey eyes gazing at him expectantly.

Grimmjow suppressed a groan.

"Whadda ya want, Hirako?" He grunted out. He didn't really want to deal with this loudmouth of an asshole right now.

Hirako grinned wider, settling himself further back against the couch and crossing a leg over the other.

"Cheerin' you up, Jaegerjaquez." He replied as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "You look awful buddy. What the hell happened?"

Grimmjow sighed, returning his attention back to the carpet.

"Nothin'." He muttered.

Hirako raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Because that right there isn't the cheerful, swearing-off-his-head asshole of a bloke I know an' am proud to say I'm friends with. You get in trouble with Aizen again or something?" He queried.

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed. Unlike his other friends, Hirako unfortunately wouldn't let something go so easily. He would keep pressing him until he got an answer. The English teacher debated the quickest and easiest way to knock the blond out before he got too chatty.

"I said nothing happened, Hirako. Why don't you shut the fuck up, yeah? Go talk to someone who actually wants yer company right now." He growled out, the words much harsher than he had originally intended.

Unfortunately he should have known better. Hirako continued to raise an eyebrow at his friend, completely unfazed by the outburst. He blew out a sharp exhalation of breath, leaning forwards and narrowing his own eyes as he gazed carefully at the blue haired man.

"Oi, Grimm," he began, his voice lowered and his tone uncharacteristically serious, "I can understand that somethin' happened which made you feel like shit, but maybe you should sort out yer own fuckin' problems already, ok? So what if you had a bad weekend or a bad night with some chick?! Or guy if you swing that way, I ain't one to judge. Get the fuck over it and pull yerself together! You're stronger than this, man! If I have to sit here an' give you a fuckin'  _pep talk_ like yer some hormonal  _schoolgirl_ , then clearly I was fuckin' mistaken when I made the choice to befriend you."

Grimmjow blinked as Hirako stood himself up, the man's eyes continuing to narrow as he glanced down at the English sensei once more.

"Pull yerself together you asshole. Go out there an' apologise. I don't wanna see you until you've manned up some. And if you told anyone we had this little talk, I'll chop yer balls off. Got it? Good." And with that the blond turned, storming angrily away from Grimmjow's bewildered form on the couch.

There was a stunned silence, the sensei's head clouded with so many disbelieving thoughts he almost felt he had to choke against some tight hold an invisible hand was keeping around his throat, preventing him from speaking.

_That son of a—_

His internal growl was cut off by a sudden eliciting of a heavy sigh.

_Shit. That fucker's right._

He would have laughed at that moment about how right everyone was seeming to be except for him, if he could have.

He glanced up to check the time.

It was almost 4:30 pm.

His stomach flipped.

He had been sitting here for the past four hours – and for what? He had told himself he would visit Ichigo the moment class had finished. Instead he had been curled in here suffering his pathetic little breakdown whilst every second that he could have spent apologising to his best friend was wasting away.

He groaned.

_Someone just kill me now or somethin'_ , he thought bitterly.

Louder calls from more teachers pooling inside began to fill the staff room, the walls seeming to amplify the sound to increasingly unbearable levels. Grunting faintly, Grimmjow lifted his head again to glare at everyone, wondering what the hell was causing this. Every teacher from the high school campus was assembled, finding seats and shuffling over to the couches - their calls, jeers and friendly conversations all melding into one loud drone.

"What the fuck?" He muttered.

"Staff meeting." A voice said from nearby, Grimmjow looking up and blinking as Szayel sat himself down next to him. The English teacher's expression was confused, his mind working overtime to make sense of those words his friend had just uttered.

"Staff meeti—" His eyes widened. "Ah  _shit_." He groaned, Grimmjow rubbing his eyes with his hands again moments later. Today was the 24th.

Szayel didn't say anything, instead giving a quiet sigh and running a hand through his hair, his expression weary.

"I completely forgot all about it. That fuckin' bastard…" Grimmjow growled out, his thoughts directed towards Aizen. The Biology teacher glanced at him, studying the blue haired man carefully for a moment before closing his eyes and leaning back against the couch pillow.

"Not for nothing but you look as bad as I feel." Grimmjow chuckled humourlessly when he looked back at his friend. Szayel nodded, otherwise not opening his eyes again.

"Today was… eventful." The younger man mumbled out. Grimmjow rose an eyebrow.

"Kurotsuchi give you hell again?" He guessed. A tired sigh passed Szayel's lips.

"Yep. I gave as good as I got though. He'll be trying to clean out his lab for some time." A slight smirk graced his lips when he had finished speaking. Despite himself Grimmjow managed another chuckle.

"Should I ask?"

At this Szayel's eyes opened, a wider grin pulling at his mouth.

"My class recently finished their cell division practicals and I was about to dispose of them when a thought struck me. Kurotsuchi's lab has a rather strongly enforced fume cupboard which just so happened to be vacant when I had a look half an hour ago. I may or may not have left the students' projects in there and added some uh… 'extra' chemicals to spice things up a little bit…" He finished, his eyes seeming to glint mirthfully.

Grimmjow's eyes widened.

"You blew shit up?!" He asked. Szayel laughed.

"I blew shit up." He grinned, rather self-satisfactorily.

Grimmjow really did have to keep quiet this time, his guffaws threatening to alert everyone's unwanted attention on him.

"You sly bastard." He sniggered. Szayel shrugged.

"All comes down to talent." He smiled. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, grinning.

"But seriously though… I hope you have some sort o' plan backed up fer when he finds out it was you." The English sensei continued, his smile fading. Szayel considered this, crossing a leg over the other as he sat back further against the couch.

"I have a few ideas in mind…" He murmured. Grimmjow snorted again, shaking his head and chuckling absentmindedly in approval of his friend's antics. He sighed again when more teachers pooled in, what space there was left in the staff room now gradually becoming smaller by the second. His eyes narrowed when a man walked in, his brown hair slicked back as he carried himself with his haughty air.

Aizen's cold brown gaze swept the room, and Grimmjow's expression of loathing only heightened when those callous eyes locked onto his form on the couch. Before Aizen could do anything else however he was thankfully called over in conversation with Ise Nanao, the administrator walking towards him.

Grimmjow let loose the breath he didn't realise he was holding, feeling in no mood at all to put up with that asshole's shit tonight. Though with another groan he realised that he had left the pile of marked assignments at home. His eyes hardening he folded his arms over his chest, mentally shrugging it off.

If Aizen wanted them, then tough shit. He didn't have them. And he'd tell the asshole that right to his face. He had more important things on his mind right now. His stomach flipped again when he didn't need to remind himself that said important thing happened to be checking up on Ichigo's wellbeing.

He swallowed thickly, reaching in his jeans pocket and pulling his phone back out. He ignored the trembling in his fingers as he began typing out a new message.

_Ichi, just letting you know that I'm gonna be coming over tonight. I think it's probably best we talk about last night. I can understand you don't want to, but if you just let me explain for five minutes I'll leave right after._

He gave a quick once-over of the text, sighing heavily when he pressed 'send' a moment later. He slid his phone back into his pocket. Beside him Szayel gazed at him with a curious expression in his golden eyes, otherwise not saying anything else.

The drone of multiple voices speaking at once steadily grew the more impatient the teachers were becoming, the staff room door opening again a few minutes later to admit some last-minute stragglers to the group. Casting a sheepish grin to his workmates, the Physics teacher nervously ran a hand through his ash-blond hair, Urahara offering his apologies as he snuck away towards the couches.

Muguruma Kensei stormed his way in afterwards, his expression rather disgruntled as he forced his way through towards the kitchen, seeking an afternoon cup of coffee. Hirako greeted him halfway, slinging his arm around the older man's shoulder and jeering casually to him whilst the PE sensei tried to shove him off.

Lastly, with an expression so vivid with rage it appeared his eyes were bulging out of his forehead, the high school's Chemistry teacher barged in, the door slamming roughly against the wall as he pushed it aside. Grimmjow cast a quick glance to the pink haired man beside him, Szayel merely shrugging his shoulders and trying his hardest to keep the threatening smirk on his lips at bay.

Grimmjow sighed, shaking his head slightly and returning his gaze to watch the quickly escalating spectacle before them.

"WHERE IS HE?!" Mayuri's voice rang out, his irises contracting into thin dots, his face contorted in rage. He received exasperated sighs and annoyed grumbles from the remainder of the teaching staff in response.

"What the hell's goin' on  _now_ , Kurotsuchi?" Kensei called out, his brow twitching. Mayuri rounded on him.

"What's going on now? WHAT'S GOING ON  _NOW_?!" He screeched, his voice almost rising into a hysterical shriek. "I'LL TELL YOU, YOU BARBARIAN! SOMEONE STOLE INTO MY LABORATORY AND LAID WASTE TO MY FUME CUPBOARD! MY CHEMICALS WERE STOLEN! MY WORK WAS BURNT!  _SOMEONE_ NEARLY SET THE WHOLE WORKBENCH ON FIRE! And I have a  _pretty good idea who_ …" His voice lowered to a twisted snarl as he finished, his yellow eyes darting past the foray of teachers before him, clearly seeking the culprit out.

Szayel picked up his coffee, sipping slowly and calmly ignoring the incensed gaze which settled over him for the briefest of moments. Grimmjow shifted a little on the couch, hoping that he wouldn't have to step in and save his friend's sorry ass if things got ugly.

"With all due respect Kurotsuchi-sensei as despicable as this is, how do you know who was responsible?" Ukitake called out, his tone amiable as he gently pleaded with the Chemistry sensei.

Mayuri's eyes narrowed, his gaze now landing on the white haired counsellor.

"Because," he spat, his teeth clenching, "only  _one_ in this room could possibly know the exact combination used to unlock the door to my laboratory. And only  _he_ could possibly know where I kept those volatile chemicals…" As he finished, he swept his hand out towards the couches.

"URAHARA KISUKE!" He yelled.

Szayel choked on his coffee. Grimmjow gently thumped the man on the back a couple of times to help him clear his lungs. Urahara blinked, his expression thoroughly confused at the sudden cry of his name, the Physics teacher glancing up from where he was standing behind the couch and inspecting the staff room cleaning roster for next week.

"Uh… yes?" He smiled meekly, rubbing the back of his neck and laughing nervously when he found everyone's eyes on him.

"YOU!" Mayuri continued to screech, his finger waving accusingly at the blond. Urahara blinked again.

"Me what?" He asked innocently.

"YOU BASTARD! YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO MY LABORATORY! COME HERE! I'LL GET YOU!" Mayuri roared, lunging towards him and threatening to string him up and hang him from the ceiling. Urahara's eyes widened, the Physics sensei jumping out of the way and racing towards the door, running out towards the corridors whilst trying to escape the Chemistry teacher making motions to wring him around the neck.

"Kurotsuchi-sensei! I have no idea what you're talking about!" His voice trailed off down the hallway.

"I'LL BURN YOU ALIVE! YOU AND YOUR STUPID HAT!" Came the heated cry.

The gathered teachers poked their heads out the door, watching in deep amusement as the two science teachers continued to race down the school corridors, yelling obscenities as they did so.

Grimmjow could only blink in surprise, unsure as to what the hell had actually just happened. He was pulled back to reality by the continued choking noises coming from his friend, Szayel's eyes watering as he straightened himself back up on the couch. He had set his coffee back down and was trying his best to still his laughter, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

"Holy fuck, Szay. You're one lucky son of a bitch." Grimmjow mused, raising an eyebrow.

Szayel managed to regain his breath, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Remind me to do that again in the near future." He gasped out, still laughing. Grimmjow scoffed, shoving his friend in the shoulder and rolling his eyes. His smile soon faded when the door opened once more, the wizened form of the school principal slowly walking inside.

Immediately all conversation ceased, Yamamoto-sensei's presence commanding utmost attention as he strode towards the centre of those gathered. His brows bristled, his expression unamused.

"What was the meaning of that disruption with Kurotsuchi-sensei and Urahara-sensei?" He barked out, his grating voice harsh. He glanced carefully at the teaching staff, continuing again without waiting for an answer. "Granz-sensei, see that they come back here at once. Tell them I wish a word with them when this is over."

Szayel froze, clearing his throat quietly before nodding and rising from his seat, quickly exiting the staff room. As soon as the door closed behind him Yamamoto-sensei returned his impatient gaze towards his staff.

"I do hope that whatever childish actions the remainder of you were considering undertaking do not make themselves known on school grounds. The immaturity of you all is astonishing and unnecessary. I trust that I will not have to explain this situation again to the rest of you like you're a bunch of infants." He berated harshly.

From where he was sitting Grimmjow released a barely audible sigh, feeling himself become restless. He was itching to get away – being yelled at by Ichigo right now would be far better than having to put up with this shit for the next hour and a half.

And so he found himself tuning out, his hand once again falling to his phone in his pocket. He bowed his head, his brows creasing slightly as he gazed in deep concentration at the screen. He hadn't received a reply yet. His stomach proceeded to resume twisting over itself.

The minutes continued to tick by, the principal talking about some upcoming notices concerning graduation or whatever other kind of shit it was that Grimmjow really didn't have any interest in paying attention to right now.

He was about to sit up and ask if he could be excused when a call of his name drew his attention, the blue haired man blinking and lifting his head to find none other than that smirking bastard Aizen himself gazing directly at him, his lips curled into a sneer.

"What?" The English sensei grunted out, his cyan eyes narrowed as he became aware of everyone else's gaze upon him.

Aizen's smirk grew wider.

"I said isn't that right, Jaegerjaquez-sensei? Yamamoto-sensei just addressed the issue of some of our teaching staff failing to pull their weight as it were with school activities. I merely pointed out that you were a little behind in your assignment marking." The Maths teacher smiled, his tone laced with feigned kindness. Grimmjow's eyes narrowed further.

_That bastard…_

"Have you finished them?" The brown haired man continued, his expression clearly communicating that he was enjoying this.

Grimmjow didn't reply for a long moment, his gaze instead drawn by the principal who was peering at him expectantly behind his bushy brows.

He slowly looked back at the Maths sensei, his expression icy.

"As a matter o' fact, I did. So now you don't have to worry about stickin' yer nose in business that's not yer own, do ya?" He said coolly.

A few muffled sniggers rang out through the staff room from the other teachers, Aizen-sensei's eyes meanwhile hardening as he continued to fix the younger man with a callous stare.

"That is enough, Sousuke." Yamamoto-sensei interrupted, his tone sharp as the brown haired man made to retort. "I believe your point has been made. Jaegerjaquez-sensei, please ensure you complete your work on time."

Grimmjow remained silent, shrugging his shoulders and crossing his legs over the coffee table.

"Sure. Whatever." He grunted. The principal was about to speak up again when Aizen cut over him.

"With all due respect Yamamoto-sensei, I'd like to have a word if I may." He began. Grimmjow's expression turned steely, the English teacher feeling entirely over it already. Aizen ignored the look being thrown towards him, instead continuing his haughty rant.

"This is not the first time that Jaegerjaquez-sensei has been slack when it comes to his students' assignments. I request this meeting that we review his rather colourful school record and perhaps come to a more… permanent… conclusion as to what to do with him." He suggested, his smirk becoming rather unpleasant towards the end of his sentence.

Grimmjow gazed steadily at him.

"Tryin' to fire me already Aizen, are ya?" He said quietly, a clear challenge underlying his tone.

Aizen continued to smile.

"Not at all, Jaegerjaquez-sensei. That is well out of my jurisdiction as you know. Though if it were up to me, all respect to Yamamoto-sensei of course, I would perhaps consider very carefully the amount of strikes you've had against your name on your record. As well as look at the fact that you appear to be focusing all your time and attention on seeing to one particular student's education instead of your class as a whole. Kurosaki Ichigo is not going to pass his studies this year if you coddle him with the rather suspicious amount of attention you've been paying to him."

Aizen's words fell upon a resounding silence, the teachers glancing from one sensei to the next. The principal moved his lips to speak but was stopped by Grimmjow, the blue haired man slowly rising from the couch. His face was expressionless as he approached the Maths teacher, his cyan eyes unreadable.

He paused when he was two feet apart from the man, gazing him squarely in the face.

"That so?" He muttered quietly, his voice barely audible. Aizen simply smirked.

"It is. Unless you plan on correcting me?" He quipped back. A faint grin twitched at the corners of the English teacher's lips.

"Yeah. 'Bout that…" He grunted, moving his hand back.

The Maths teacher was only offered a split second's warning before his brown eyes widened in shock, the next moment the man crying out in agony as Grimmjow's fist collided roughly with his jaw. The force of the recoil sent Aizen stumbling backwards, gripping his face. Shocked gasps and yells sounded in the staff room, Grimmjow not even paying a moment's notice as he turned around and walked away.

"Jaegerjaquez-sensei!"

He ignored the rough call of his name from the principal, a hurried "sorry Yama-jii, I have to go" passing the blue haired man's lips as he threw open the door and stormed down the hallway.

He swore he was almost seeing red, the English sensei's steps quick and heavy along the semi-deserted corridors. His hands clenched into fists by his sides, his expression darkening.

_That fuckin' bastard…_

He bit back an angered growl. He hadn't meant to lose his temper like that in front of the rest of the teaching staff – especially Yama-jii seeing as he would probably fire him in a heartbeat after seeing that – but there was only so much bullshit from that man that Grimmjow could take. Unfortunately tonight just had to be the night where he'd snap.

His breath escaped his lips in harsh pants as he burst through the entrance doors, the teacher already darting down towards the staff car park in a sprint. He pulled his keys out from his pocket, unlocking his car and diving in towards the driver's seat, not even bothering to put his seatbelt on as he revved the engine and tore down the main road moments later.

* * *

He laid motionless on the couch, his eyes glazed over as he gazed unblinkingly at the beams of sun shining through the curtains. The TV was on, but Ichigo wasn't paying attention to it.

The pillow his head was resting against was still damp from the salty tears of rage which had streamed down his cheeks some few hours ago, the teen having found no motivation to get up and wipe them away. Beside him his phone was on the table, his fingers still outstretched towards the screen as if making to turn it off.

Though he found that he couldn't, even if he so badly wanted to. He was fuming – he felt betrayed, used. He had even skipped out on school today because he knew that if he went he would have had to put up with that asshole of an English teacher. His stomach churned uncomfortably.

It hurt him deeply to have to be reduced to this – the pain and rejection he felt cutting him sharply to the heart like a knife. Never in all his wildest dreams would he think that he would end up hating the one person whom he had trusted like no other before. Hell, the man was the closest friend he had. It was just a stupid error on Ichigo's part to assume that there could be something more to this.

But just like that, his thoughts would then stray to last night once again – the urgent crash of mouth against mouth as they stood there by the wall. His stomach churned again. If he didn't know any better, he would have said that Grimmjow – or some small part of him anyway – probably  _did_ care for the youth more than he let on. Ichigo's eyes squeezed shut, his brow creasing. Even despite how late it was right now he still hadn't fully gotten over his hangover either.

Straining to open his eyes again some few minutes later he focused his gaze upon the text message once more. He had half a mind to get up and lock the front door, pretend he wasn't at home,  _anything_ to avoid his teacher walking into his house and trying to explain himself.

The whole thing was past an explanation. Nothing could possibly make it better.

Yet at the same time Ichigo was torn in his decision... he  _wanted_ an explanation – he wanted to hear out loud just why the hell his best friend would do something like that in the first place, even when he had clearly shown that he was probably just as serious about this as Ichigo was.

He sighed, the teen becoming lost in thought.

_I should slam the fucking door in his face_.

He was sorely tempted to.

The sound of his message tone going off alerted the orangette towards his phone again, the youth gazing wearily at the screen. He elicited a heavy sigh when he saw Rukia's name flash on the screen, Ichigo slowly pulling his phone towards him so he could access the text.

_I don't care if you're sick or not – you better drag your sorry ass to school tomorrow Ichigo. You hear me?_

He rolled his eyes, sighing heavily once more and placing his phone back on the coffee table. That was just like Rukia. He smiled grimly, allowing himself a moment to imagine the expressions on the faces of his friends if he revealed to them the real reason why he had opted to skip classes today. It was with another cruel lurch of the stomach that he realised that the only person he could ever talk to fully was his English teacher… and he just so happened to be someone he didn't want to talk to ever again.

Biting back the fresh wave of frustrated tears he turned onto his side and shoved his face against the couch pillow, desperate to try and somehow get some sleep. He hadn't eaten anything all day, but he would be damned if he got up now to try and ease the impatient growling of his stomach. He felt like shit, and he intended to feed that negativity. It was the only emotion worth feeling at this point in time.

Continuing to grumble to himself he slipped into an uneasy nightmare even as the familiar rumbling of a car approached the driveway.

* * *

He awoke with a start.

Hands reached out to grab his arms, Ichigo jerking and gasping out as he was roused from the consuming blackness which had threatened to swallow him whole. He heard a voice, muffled slightly though he could just make out its close proximity. It was telling him to calm down, to relax – though it sounded just as scared as Ichigo felt.

He was trembling, he realised – cold sweat beading on his forehead as he furiously shook his head, blinking his eyes open and hissing once more when the sharp beam of sunlight from the nearby window blinded his retinas.

"Shit… you ok?"

It took only a moment for Ichigo to recognise whose voice that was. He growled faintly under his breath, his senses now finally waking up enough for him to hastily shove the man away. Grimmjow let Ichigo's arms go without saying anything, a brief pained expression entering his eyes as he did so.

"Get away from me."

Grimmjow sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand as Ichigo's hoarse growl echoed in his ears. He really didn't blame the kid. He tried to form some reply, but found that he couldn't find the words to speak. He instead settled on shifting backwards, cyan eyes raking over the still trembling form of the teen as warm brown eyes locked angrily onto his features, Ichigo wrapping his arms around himself and scrambling far away to the opposite side of the couch.

There was a long silence which seemed to stretch on for hours, Ichigo doing everything he could to avoid the man's gaze. He tried to form the right words to tell him to fuck off and go back home, but he found that his throat was dry.

He instead settled on glowering furiously, his posture clearly communicating to the older man that if he dared make one single move he would get fists flying right towards his face. Grimmjow's expression continued to remain pained, the English sensei knowing fully well just how much his presence was unwanted right now.

Silence continued to pass.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" It was Ichigo who eventually spoke, his voice hoarse as he rasped out. Grimmjow ran a hand through his hair, avoiding eye contact.

"I sent you a text, remember?" He mumbled gruffly. Ichigo lowered his gaze to his phone still settled on the coffee table. He almost hissed under his breath.

"Another nightmare?" The orangette's head was brought up again at the quiet inquiry which passed his teacher's lips, Ichigo's brown eyes widening faintly at the unexpected utterance. He froze, caught between wanting to answer truthfully, or answer truthfully in the most hurtful way imaginable to that blue haired bastard.

"… Why do you care?" He managed through gritted teeth. Grimmjow cracked a strained smile, his cyan gaze continuing to avoid Ichigo's enraged brown eyes.

"Y'know I've been askin' myself that a lot lately." The man muttered faintly, almost as if he was talking more to himself than the teen in front of him. Ichigo's eyes narrowed further, his rage slowly reaching boiling point.

"I've been tryin' to find some way to apologise for how I acted last night. You wouldn't believe how fuckin' shaken up about it I was today. Or ya probably could, I dunno. I couldn't even move for a good couple of hours." Grimmjow continued to mutter, the words seeming to roll so quickly off his tongue Ichigo had a hard time trying to piece them together.

"Just… don't." The youth interrupted, the blue haired man making to open his mouth again to speak. Grimmjow stopped, his eyes widening slightly before his expression smoothed back over into its previous pained look. He nodded, standing slowly and sticking his hands into his jeans pockets, glancing around uncomfortably.

Ichigo quickly jumped off the couch, striding over towards the front door. He outstretched his palm to open it, swallowing an invisible lump in his throat.

"I think it's better if you just leave, Grimm." He managed out after a moment, somehow succeeding in keeping his voice steady. He slowly raised his gaze to his teacher, Grimmjow giving a faint nod as he quickly avoided the orangette's eyes once more.

"Yeah. 'K." He mumbled, striding forwards as Ichigo pulled the door open. Just as he was about to leave, the blue haired man paused slightly, his expression still uncomfortable.

"So uh… I hope to see ya in class tomorrow. We started lookin' at the rest o' the topics fer the semester, just so yer aware." He spoke up quietly. Ichigo nodded, his eyes unreadable.

"Thanks for letting me know." He answered flatly.

Grimmjow nodded again.

"Also some hilarious shit went down in the staff room today, I think you woulda liked it… don't think I've ever seen Kurotsuchi so off his head at someone."

Despite himself Ichigo's lips twitched faintly into some vague resemblance of a smile.

Grimmjow noticed this, a faint smile of his own forming on his mouth, though it was saddened somewhat.

"Promise me you'll see someone about those nightmares though, yeah? You look awful." He murmured quietly. Ichigo's eyes narrowed faintly once more, the youth falling silent again for some time.

His hand clenched by his side, the teen stubbornly refusing to allow those words to sink in – purely out of defiance to accept any kind of help from the man in front of him. But with a sinking heart he knew that Jaegerjaquez was right. He swallowed thickly again, his lips opening as if to speak, yet not a sound passed his throat. His words failing him Ichigo continued to remain standing where he was.

"Weren't you leaving?" He managed at length through gritted teeth.

Cyan eyes closed, a solemn gaze flickering briefly over the English sensei's face momentarily before the man nodded, Grimmjow sighing faintly and striding through the opened doorway.

"Yeah. See ya tomorrow, Ichi." He called out, his voice strained. Ichigo didn't reply – instead opting to slam the door closed behind the man as he left. The youth continued to stand there, waiting until the loud rumbling purr of the man's car left the driveway and faded down the street.

A minute passed, Ichigo's mind continuing to reel.

_That fucking bastard._

His hands clenched once more.

Fighting the urge to punch the nearby wall, he span around and stormed up to his room. He would turn up at school tomorrow, but that didn't mean he would ever start to forgive that lying asshole for what he had done.

 


	14. A Friendly Reminder

The cool pre-winter's breeze swept across the green ovals of Karakura High, the grass shoots and deciduous trees swaying in the wind. It was halfway through the last semester, students and teachers alike working hard to continue with studies leading up to the end-of-year graduation.

The shrill buzzing of the school bell echoed throughout the grounds, the thundering rush of feet and voices rising into noisome calls as classes changed, people rushing madly to and fro to reach their next subject on time. Among the hustle and bustle blocking the western staircase, Ichigo waited patiently for his friends to catch up, his grin wide as he reached up and waved his hand to guide Orihime and Sado over to him.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime gasped as she sidled up next to him. Sado gave an appreciative thumbs up. Ichigo chuckled.

"No problem. Though why were you two so far behind me? We left class at the same time." He spoke up, raising an eyebrow. Orihime laughed sheepishly.

"Kyouraku-sensei called me back inside to talk to me about my drama assignment…" She began, running a hand nervously through her long red locks. Ichigo shared a brief look with Sado.

"And?" He cautiously asked.

Orihime replied with nothing but another sheepish laugh. Ichigo sighed, knowing fully well what had happened.

"You really need to pay more attention to when assignments are due, Inoue." He muttered under his breath. Orihime nodded, her laugh soon fading into a prolonged sigh of her own.

"What about you, Chad?" The orangette asked, raising his gaze back to the tall dark haired boy beside him.

Sado blinked, his olive green eyes focused on his friend. He stood there silently for a few moments, evidently somehow trying to find the words to say.

"Same reason." He said at length.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. The day Sado Yasutora spoke more than two words in the same sentence would be the day that hell froze over. He sighed, guiding his friends along with him down the now vacant staircase.

"What am I going to do with you two?" He mused, grinning. Sado and Orihime shared a look, smiling as they followed the cheerful orangette.

"You're in a good mood today, Kurosaki-kun." Orihime piped up when they had almost reached the bottom landing. Ichigo nodded, his grin still plastered over his lips, providing a welcome change from the usual scowl he wore.

"Really? I guess so." He shrugged. Sado looked at him again.

"What happened?" He asked. Ichigo considered this.

"Aizen gave us our calculus assignments back this morning. I managed to get a really good grade on it. You shoulda seen his face – he was fuming even as he handed me back my work." Ichigo paused, snickering. "Though remind me to thank Ishida when I see him. I wouldn't have been able to get that far without him letting me copy off his notes."

They turned the corridor, following the throng of students up the eastern hallway towards their next class before lunch break.

"Really? I'm so happy for you, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime breathed, her grey eyes widening with excitement. Ichigo smiled.

"Thanks Inoue." He replied warmly. He chose to ignore the red flush which crept over the girl's cheeks.

Sado lifted his head, raising a large hand and waving to someone who was approaching them. The action caught Ichigo and Orihime's eyes, the two also lifting their heads and watching as Renji raced towards the trio.

"Good afternoon, Abarai-kun!" Orihime chirped up. Renji nodded to her, managing a reply "afternoon Inoue" before doubling over and panting heavily as he gripped his knees.

"What the hell happened?" Ichigo asked, his eyes widening. Renji shook his head, motioning with his hand for the orangette to wait a moment. He sucked in another deep breath, exhaling sharply as he straightened himself back up and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Slept in." He muttered.

The others exchanged glances.

"Some sleep in, Abarai." Sado mentioned quietly. It was already midday. Renji shot him a withering glance.

"Why do you think I ran all the way here?" He retorted sarcastically. Ichigo sighed.

"Keep the arguments to yourself you two. I wanna stay in a good mood for as long as possible." He spoke up.

Renji looked like he was about to reply with something snarky when Sado placed a hand on his shoulder to keep his pending insult at bay.

Thankfully he remained silent as the group continued up the next flight of stairs, approaching the lines already assembled outside of classroom 1-3B.

"Great… English… he's gonna give us back our essays today isn't he?" Renji groaned as the four of them joined the rest of their class.

"You didn't finish yours, did you?" Sado guessed. Renji's eyes narrowed.

"I did as a matter of fact. Even did a nice little conclusion an' everything!" He replied indignantly.

"So in other words you didn't finish it." Sado deadpanned. Renji's face quickly fell.

"No!" He wailed. He received a sympathetic pat on the back from the taller boy.

"Where's Kuchiki-san?" Orihime asked, her expression confused as she looked around at their classmates.

"I'm here!" A voice called out behind them, Rukia smiling as she jogged over.

"Ah, good afternoon Kuchiki-san!" Orihime smiled.

"Good afternoon Inoue!" Rukia replied, dusting herself off as she stood next to her friend.

"Why were you so late?" Renji asked. Rukia stared blankly at him.

"Because unlike you, I actually attended class this morning and we just got let out." She replied coldly. Renji scowled, kicking the carpeted floor.

As the pair trailed off into light-hearted bickering, the rest of the class continued to chat away while they waited for their teacher to arrive. Five minutes passed, and sure enough the unmistakeable head of bright blue hair could be seen approaching from the end of the hall. The female students all straightened up, giggling and waving. Jaegerjaquez-sensei nodded back, his cyan eyes gazing over his class as he drew up in front of them, reaching out and unlocking the classroom with his keys. He motioned for his students to follow him as soon as the door had swung open.

The conversation rose even louder as they pooled in, taking their seats and settling themselves down as the English sensei placed his textbooks on the teacher's desk, reaching his hands into his diary and pulling out marked pages of work.

"Alright, settle down everyone. You want yer assignments back or don't ya?" He called out over his students, effectively making them quiet down and focus their attention on him.

He picked up the stack of papers, striding forwards and passing them around.

Muted whispers rang out in the class as he moved through the rows, the class continuing their conversation.

No one acknowledged or chose to comment on Ichigo's silence – the orangette gazing out the window as if purposely ignoring his surroundings.

* * *

"Inoue?" Grimmjow lifted his head, glancing around the seated students for the red haired girl. She rose her hand, a cheerful smile on her lips as he strode up to her and handed her her essay. She beamed when she took the paper, eyeing the marked B+ on the front page.

"You did good. Though next time I'd like to see more focus on the question being asked. I don't know what yer conclusion was referring to." He commented. She smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, Jaegerjaquez-sensei." She mumbled. He chuckled, waving it off as he moved down the row.

"Asano?" He called out.

Asano Keigo meekly raised his head. Grimmjow sighed as he handed the kid his work. Keigo's face fell when he saw the D in the top right-hand corner.

"What?!" He groaned.

"I don't mean to be rude or anythin' Asano but… what the  _fuck_ were you thinkin'? You didn't even answer the question! I told you when we went over the criteria fer this that you should come see me if you had trouble understandin' it." Grimmjow sighed. Asano hung his head, his hair sweeping into his eyes as he let out another loud groan.

Grimmjow continued on, sighing once more and shaking his head.

"Abarai?"

The English sensei didn't even raise his head when Renji let out a wailing moan of despair. He placed the unfinished paper on his desk, a large F in the top right hand corner.

"See me after class, Abarai. I highly doubt yer gonna pass English again this semester." Grimmjow said quietly. Renji nodded, the redhead gripping strands of his spiky hair tightly as he buried his face against the desk. The class fell silent, sympathetic glances being thrown towards the unfortunate teen.

A few more names were called out, the teacher pausing every so often to hand out papers. Glancing down at the last three assignments in hand, Grimmjow called out the next name.

"Kurosaki."

The class watched as the blue haired sensei walked towards Ichigo, placing the paper on the desk without even so much as one word said. Ichigo didn't lift his head, instead he gazed down unblinkingly at the A+ on his work. A few gasps rang out when some students peered over his shoulder and saw his grade; Rukia even turned her head and huffed out in annoyance.

Ichigo merely continued to stare. He slowly picked up the assignment, sliding it into the folds of his notebook even as Grimmjow finished handing out the last essay and returned to the front of the room. His mind was empty, or to be more precise, Ichigo was determined to block out any unwanted thoughts.

The rest of the class didn't make a sound. It had been like this for the past month – the teacher would no longer throw wise remarks to the student who used to return them without missing a beat. Everyone knew that something had happened, something which had made Ichigo hide under the now permanent scowl donning his features, not bothering to speak unless it was to confirm his presence in the room.

They decided to keep out of it – not wanting to run the risk of prying into their private business. Ichigo had clearly gotten himself in trouble with the teacher. And for Ichigo to be in  _this_ amount of trouble with  _any_  teacher… many rumours had sprung up. And none of them pleasant.

Grimmjow had cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back to him. Gazes turned to look at him as he leant back against the blackboard.

"So the good news is that's just over half of the semester done an' dusted. There's only a couple more assignments left fer you guys an' then you have yer graduation. Well, most of you will anyway." Grimmjow paused, his gaze shifting to Renji and Asano. The boys in question shifted uncomfortably and tried to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible.

The sensei continued, not paying them any further mind.

"Overall I was really pleased with most of the effort put into yer essays. Our last item on the curriculum is poetry. Yeah. You heard right. Fuckin' poetry. That's almost as bad as Shakespeare." Grimmjow groaned. The class responded likewise, many students looking like they were tempted to beat their heads against the desks.

The teacher rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

"I tried pleadin' with Yama-jii, I really did. But uh… he's not really in the mood to listen to anything I have to say to him as of late. Serves me right I s'pose but… still…" He finished, his voice trailing off into a mumble.

"What happened?" One of the kids called out. Grimmjow lifted his gaze to look at the child who had spoken, some blond student in the middle row.

"Nothin'. Just had a bit of a disagreement with one o' the teachin' staff a few weeks back." He replied, shrugging.

"Was this Aizen-sensei?" Another student spoke up. Grimmjow froze, his eyes narrowing slightly on Arisawa Tatsuki.

"How did you know about that?" He asked wearily. Tatsuki grinned.

"He was going on about it in class yesterday. He was absent for about three weeks and he finally came back with a bandage wrapped around his nose. Did you hit him or something?" She asked, leaning forwards in her seat and folding her arms over her desk.

A stunned silence echoed around the classroom, all the students suddenly looking much more alert. No one noticed Ichigo slowly craning his head up to look at the blue haired man.

Grimmjow sighed, allowing a tired chuckle to fall from his lips.

"Maybe." Was all he responded with. A unanimous groan left the students.

"Come on sensei! Tell us! Why'd you do it?!" Renji called out excitedly, seeming to have forgotten that only a few seconds ago he was scared shitless of the teacher. A few others chimed in, Grimmjow momentarily at a loss for words as his eardrums felt like they were on the verge of exploding.

"Alright, alright! Calm the fuck down!" He laughed, flashing a wide grin as the class slowly settled back into silence. He sighed again, gazing at all the eyes trained on him intently.

"We had a disagreement." He repeated, settling himself on the edge of the teacher's desk and folding his arms across his chest. "He was bein' a prick an' I fixed that up for 'im. You happy now?" He rose an eyebrow.

The expressions on his class's faces told him otherwise. He rolled his eyes.

"Is it true that you're on a good behaviour contract now?" Asano piped up. Grimmjow looked incredulous.

"Who the fuck told you  _that_?" He blinked. He paused when he saw the phone open on the boy's desk. He sighed for what he felt was the hundredth time that day. "Tell yer boyfriend to stop stickin' his nose in teacher's business." He chastised.

Asano's jaw dropped.

"He's not my boyfriend!" He cried out. "Ah shit." He groaned a second later, realising his cheeks had flushed red. Scattered chuckles rang out through the classroom. Grimmjow unsuccessfully tried to hide his smirk.

"Now are you all done with the interrogatin' or can I go back to tryin' to teach you all?" He raised his voice over the ensuing conversation, turning his back on the class so he could begin writing up notes on the blackboard.

As soon as his face was hidden he heaved a faint sigh, wondering how Keigo  _had_ found out about the contract. The memory of facing the principal after that day he had lashed out at Aizen was firmly seared into his mind, and it was something the blue haired man tried desperately to forget. Though, and here his lips twitched into yet another grin, it was decidedly worth it at the knowledge that it put Aizen out of action for three weeks.

So what if he had come this close to losing his job? At least it had wiped the smug smirk off that bastard's face.

He chuckled, the chalk scraping the blackboard as he continued writing out the notes.

"We're gonna be startin' on free form poetry today. I've just written out the general gist of it for you." He spoke up, turning back to face the class some five minutes later. He smiled when his students all raised their gaze to the board, sniggers of laughter erupting around the room shortly afterwards.

"'Hair like a wavy lump of dog shit, looks like it's been unwashed for weeks. A face that only a mother could love, those glasses were fetched from a garbage dump'…" The students trailed off, their laughter growing louder the more they read.

"Sir, are you allowed to write poems about Aizen-sensei?" One of the kids from the front row spoke up. Grimmjow's grin was wide.

"Nope! But that's probably the only good thing about this style of poetry. You let yer ideas flow onto the paper. See, the beauty o' free form poetry is that you take a topic an' you write it however you want. There's no rules fer the content or how many stanzas you have or any o' that bullshit. It's all about writin' without thinkin', which is a pretty weird-ass way of explainin' things but then again poetry is bollocks anyway." He explained. He crossed his arms over his chest and rose a hand to absentmindedly scratch at his chin whilst the class copied down the notes.

"You can make it rhyme if you want but ya don't have to. It's true that rhyming in poetry was a huge thing in the Romantic Era – whatever that is – but it's not really that implemented nowadays. But when our next assignment comes around if any of you wanna write a poem on a teacher you hate the most here I'd fully condone that and might even give you good grades if they're insultin' enough." He answered cheerily. "Though… if any of them are about me yer gonna get in deep shit." He warned.

More scattered sniggers rang out from the classroom.

"Excellent! I know just the two!" Renji cackled quietly as he shared a look with his friends, already taking out his notebook and beginning to hastily scribble on the paper.

"Kurotsuchi and Granz… you're both going down…" He muttered coarsely under his breath. Rukia rolled her eyes at this, Sado meanwhile sighing from where he heard Renji's words all the way in the front row.

Grimmjow lifted his head, also having heard the comment.

"Kurotsuchi I'm ok with. But spare the pink haired nerd. He's a real pal of mine." He replied. Renji visibly went ten shades darker in the face, the red haired youth grumbling something inaudible.

Still chuckling, Grimmjow turned to look back at the board for a moment, fondly eyeing his work.

 _I might read that out at the next staff meetin' or somethin'_ , he thought. As he entertained that idea, he looked back to the students and briefly caught the steady gaze of warm brown eyes.

His smile momentarily fading from his lips, Grimmjow returned the glance warily as he looked at Kurosaki.

For the past month, not one word had been spoken between them. Grimmjow tried his best to keep the kid out of his mind at all costs. He wasn't very successful at it, but he had somehow managed. He hadn't pressed Ichigo for any more talks, nor had he checked on him at his new house. He understood the kid still needed his privacy, and he was willing to give him that much until the time when Ichigo wanted to talk to him again. If he was honest with himself it hurt him even more than running away from the kid that night had done... he would go to bed each night and want to punch the wall in his frustration. But then again, Grimmjow accepted it for what it was, because he knew he was fully at fault here. He knew it was a childishly stupid thing to think, but he would remove himself fully from Ichigo's life in a heartbeat if it meant the teen would be happy again.

So when he saw the faint smile form on those lips, he felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

He stared, afraid to blink for fear that the look would be gone again, only to be replaced with that hateful glare which had cut his heart open like a knife through flesh. He almost didn't want to believe it when that smile only grew - ever so slightly, but visible enough even from where he was standing.

In that moment Grimmjow thought he might just fall to the ground and kiss it. Giving a faint smile of his own, though somewhat awkwardly, he only hoped that everything that needed to be said was conveyed in his glance, the blue haired teacher looking away and returning his gaze to the classroom.

"Right, open to page two hundred, guys. I can't be fucked readin' so who wants to volunteer? Thanks Abarai." He spoke up without waiting for an answer from the red haired teen.

"Aww come on!" Renji whined. Grimmjow sat down in his chair, chuckling along with the rest of the class.

"I think I have room fer another detention to fill in on my timetable here..." He muttered as he read over his teacher's diary.

"ALRIGHT I'LL DO IT!" Renji shrieked, picking up his book and flushing an angry shade of red, his cheeks almost matching the colour of his hair as he began reading.

And with that, Grimmjow let loose a content sigh as he leant back in the chair and allowed himself to finally relax as the lesson continued.

* * *

"I can't believe he actually punched the guy! Did you know about that Keigo?"

"Nope! But holy shit – can he get any  _cooler_?"

"Oi, Kurosaki – how'd you get those top marks?"

"A little thing called doing my work."

"Aww come on! Stop being a smartass!"

"Stop wasting time in class."

Renji huffed in annoyance, the redhead scowling as he turned away from the orangette. Ichigo rolled his eyes, his textbooks firmly tucked under his arm as he joined his friends in the queue for their next lesson of the day – Chemistry.

It seemed like an ominous shudder would always sweep over the students whenever they lined up outside the pristine white laboratory, the air seeming to become colder the closer they edged towards the door. For the moment though, Ichigo wasn't concerned about the next two hours. He was instead breathing an internal sigh of relief, his grades for English leaving him feel somewhat elated.

But more importantly, he was feeling like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders at the knowledge that Grimmjow had returned his smile in class – with that glance, Ichigo had known that the ice was slowly starting to melt between them. If he was honest with himself, the last month had been a greater hell for him than any of his father's beatings put together.

He was focused so much on the betrayal he felt and the anger at Grimmjow having left that one night that he was blinded to everything else. It would start out as a tightening of the chest, the teen waking up and crying silently onto his pillow in the middle of the night. And the more he became aware of it, the more he had realised just what was happening. He missed the bastard. He truly, truly missed him. He'd just shut his best friend out of his life. A best friend who the orangette was quick to realise had become a beacon of light for him in the relatively short time they had known one another.

He never wanted that joy, that happiness to end. So he had decided to apologise. It would take some time, he knew that only far too well, but he  _would_ apologise to Grimmjow. And he would feel so much better for it.

His hands gripped his textbooks tighter, his head bowing slightly to hide the faint smile crossing his lips.

He couldn't even begin to imagine how Grimmjow was feeling about this. The man must have felt like shit - hell Ichigo wasn't feeling any better himself. He knew he'd shut him out, and Grimmjow had just accepted it. It left the teen feeling cold inside. Empty. He had screamed himself hoarse at the park a week after it had happened, cursing himself because he had realised in that one moment that he wasn't any better than his father. His sisters had noticed it too - Karin and Yuzu asking day after day about Grimmjow and why he wasn't visiting anymore.

Yuzu was too young to understand... but Karin wasn't. She had pulled Ichigo aside one day and cuffed him upside the head.

"You apologise to him, Ichi-nii!" She had all but hissed at him. "I don't know what happened but you're being immature! This isn't the idiot brother I love!"

That was all it took for Ichigo to finally get a hold of himself. That was three nights ago.

He was brought out of his reverie by a loud wailing groan from right next to his ear.

"Someone please kill me now!"

Sado sighed and pat Renji on the shoulder sympathetically, the redhead groaning and attempting to beat his head against the window.

"Calm down Abarai." The dark haired youth spoke up. Renji threw him a venomous glance.

"Easy for you to say, Sado!" He hissed. " _You_ don't get picked on in class!"

"Because I do my work." Sado replied, a smile twitching on his lips. Renji groaned again and went back to knocking his forehead against the window.

"Shut up!" He wailed.

Ichigo couldn't help the smirk threatening to form on his lips, the orangette settling on chuckling as he glanced back up the corridor.

Class was due to start in less than five minutes, and Kurotsuchi was almost always on time. Though there  _were_  the occasional days that he would arrive half an hour late – with the excuse that he had been caught up on some experiments. Everyone would shudder and try to avoid thinking about any mental images as to what exactly those experiments were.

Ichigo stifled further sniggers against his shirt sleeve when the yellow eyed man turned the corridor, his pace quick and his mood obviously irritated as he stormed up towards them.

"Good luck Renji." He muttered under his breath.

The students quickly froze and reassembled, not wanting to bear the brunt of the Chemistry sensei's madness when he was already in a rather disgruntled enough mood as it was, the man mumbling curses and strange words to himself the closer he approached.

"Get inside!" He suddenly snapped out, his voice hard as he raised his head to glance angrily at the class. The students jumped, already filing towards their designated seats. Renji raced in, shivering as he quickly found his seat in the very back row, Sado and Ichigo strolling up casually beside him.

The door slammed shut behind them as the teacher followed.

"PHYSICS! IT'S A SCIENCE WHICH HAS NO PLACE AMONGST THE GREAT DISCOVERIES OF OUR LIFETIME!" The sensei bellowed, slamming his textbooks down on the nearby bench. The students jumped as the harsh smack echoed around the laboratory.

"What's gotten into him now?" One student whispered.

"Dunno. Clearly Urahara-sensei's done something again." Another kid replied.

"CORRECT!" The teacher cried out.

"He heard me?!" The same kid whispered in horror.

"If that scum thinks he can get away with sabotaging my research… he'll have another thing coming to him!" Mayuri seethed, turning his back and beginning to scribble furiously down on the whiteboard.

Everyone exchanged glances.

"What did he do?" A few whispers rang out.

"Urahara Kisuke is the fiend responsible for the near destruction of my laboratory last month. I will make  _sure_ he pays!" Mayuri replied, once again startling the students with his sharp hearing.

Blank stares etched onto the class's faces.

"But… if it was last month, why are you only talking about it… now?" One of the kids in the front row shyly asked.

"Because now I've finally come up with a suitable enough punishment for him!" Mayuri replied, his eyes bugging. The class fell silent once again.

"This guy's fucking crazy." One of the boys sitting near Ichigo mouthed out – some kid called Hisagi. Those who heard the comment nodded, quickly bowing their heads just in case the teacher had eyes in the back of his head and was staring at them as they talked about him.

"Page seven hundred and thirty. Open to it! Now! Those questions had better be done!" The teacher called out sharply. Renji audibly gulped. Ichigo sighed, his eyes trailing over the blank page in Renji's notebook.

"He's going to kill me…" Renji whispered, mortified. Ichigo nodded.

"Yep." He replied. Renji buried his face in his hands.

"ABARAI RENJI!"

Renji yelped, the redhead jumping back in his chair and clutching his chest as the teacher roared out his name. Mayuri was looking directly at him, his expression nothing short of lethal.

"Y-yes sir?" Renji stammered.

"You haven't done your homework  _again_?!" Mayuri yelled.

Renji nodded his head quickly. The teacher fell silent, a rather unsettling smile suddenly forming on his lips.

"Well then. No matter. I need an assistant for the demonstration I am about to conduct. Abarai, stand up and make your way to the front." He answered, his tone becoming oddly cheerful. The class sniggered at Renji's horrified expression, the redhead mouthing out an urgent "help me!" to his friends as he got out of his seat.

"Hydrochloric acid is, as I am sure you are all aware, a rather corrosive substance used in chemical experimentation. And it's quite dangerous to your health if you undergo direct prolonged exposure to it." Mayuri began as Renji went to grab a lab coat and glasses. The teen froze, casting a wide-eyed glance towards the teacher. Mayuri pretended not to notice.

"Today I'm going to show you all just  _how_ dangerous the prolonged exposure can be by showing you what happens when we take Abarai here and dunk his entire head in this bucketful of the acid." He continued, holding up a red plastic bucket which was seated on the far end of the bench top.

"WHAT?!" Renji shrieked. Mayuri's grin grew wider. The sniggers around the classroom became louder.

"Come on Abarai. I need your assistance." He spoke up, grabbing the struggling teen's sleeve and beginning to pull him towards the desk.

"I PROMISE I'LL DO MY HOMEWORK KUROTSUCHI-SENSEI!" Renji cried out.

Mayuri rose an eyebrow, letting go of the teen's arm.

"Oh? If these kinds of threats were so effective I would have started using them a long time ago." The Chemistry teacher mused, stroking his chin. Renji threw him a dirty glance.

Mayuri was about to speak up again when a knock on the door drew his attention.

"Who is it?!" He snapped, clearly agitated. The class craned their necks as the door opened, the Biology teacher poking his head around it and glancing inside.

"Get out of here Granz!" Mayuri snapped again. Granz-sensei narrowed his eyes.

"Believe me I'd love to." He drawled, looking thoroughly unamused. "I'll leave as soon as I collect Abarai-kun. I was sent here to find him."

A stunned silence echoed around the laboratory.

"What?" Mayuri blinked. The pink haired man looked like he was about to reply but was cut off by Renji almost barrelling towards the door.

"THANK GOD! YOU'RE MY NEW FAVOURITE TEACHER!" He gasped, looking beyond relieved at being saved from having to continue with Mayuri's science demonstration. Granz-sensei stared at him, an eyebrow raised.

"Nice to know. Though I'm afraid it wasn't out of the goodness of my heart that I'm here, Abarai. Yamamoto-sensei wants you in his office. You're in quite a bit of trouble for your homework record. Or lack of." The pink haired man spoke up, his expression stern. Renji's jaw dropped.

"Fuck my life." He cussed.

Granz-sensei opened the door further to let the redhead skulk out, the spiky haired teen now looking thoroughly depressed. Before he closed it, the Biology teacher lifted his head and threw a pleasant smile towards the Chemistry sensei.

"How's your work coming along, Kurotsuchi?" He asked. Mayuri frowned.

"I don't need someone like you to ask about my work,  _Granz-sensei_." He sneered. "Get out of my classroom and go back to your own pathetic excuse for a laboratory."

If Granz-sensei took any offence to that comment he didn't show it outwardly. His smile continued to remain plastered on his lips.

"So cruel, Kurotsuchi. I was just asking a simple question. After last month one would think you'd start to be more careful with where you keep your chemicals." He replied. Mayuri's eyes narrowed.

"What are you implying?" He whispered. The Biology teacher chuckled.

"Seven, eight, two, ten, fifteen. It was too easy." He replied, lifting a hand in a wave as he began to close the door.

Mayuri froze.

"Seven, eight, two… but that's my laboratory access cod—" He gasped, his eyes widening. He rounded on the door just as it was about to click shut. "YOU! IT WAS YOU WHO BROKE IN THAT DAY! I'LL… I'LL… I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS YOU WORTHLESS SCUM!" He screeched.

Granz-sensei cracked a wide grin as he lifted his hand in another wave, the pink haired man walking back down the corridor with a bemused Renji struggling to keep his pace beside him. The class could only watch as Mayuri roared obscenities towards the closed door, the man completely red in the face.

Ichigo tried to hide his grin, the orangette making it a mental note to tell Grimmjow about this later. His smiled faded however when he realised that he didn't know exactly  _when_  that later would be. He sighed.

_Maybe I can see him when classes finish?_

He chewed his lip. Somehow he doubted it.

Deciding to leave his personal problems out of this until he could sort his feelings out more clearly, he turned his attention back to the front when Mayuri roared for attention once again.

_It's going to be a long day._

* * *

"Kurosaki Ichigo, welcome back. On time as always I see."

Ichigo managed a tired smile, lifting his hand out to enclose it in a friendly handshake with the long raven haired psychiatrist, Rukia's older brother returning the gesture and motioning for Ichigo to sit down in front of his desk.

Ichigo slung his schoolbag off of his shoulders, seating himself on the comfortable plush chair and sighing faintly as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. Kuchiki Byakuya was a well renowned consultant with sleep-related disorders, and it certainly showed with the numerous awards framed on the walls of the man's quaint office, warm afternoon sunlight shining through the window curtains and illuminating the cream coloured walls. A small bonsai tree was settled on the windowsill as an aesthetic decoration, with various Japanese ornaments placed here and there in tasteful consideration.

As he glanced around the office the orange haired teen had become accustomed to visiting every Wednesday evening after school for the past month, the shuffling of papers on the desk drew the youth's attention back towards the doctor. His features sharp and stern, his grey eyes gazed unwaveringly at the brown eyed youth seated across from him. Ichigo fought the urge to shift in slight discomfort under that stare. Just because he was Rukia's brother didn't necessarily mean that the guy wasn't intimidating in his own right.

"How have you been getting on since our last meeting?" The raven haired man asked, his voice a deep baritone as he leant back in his chair, folding his hands together on the tabletop. Ichigo considered the question.

"Better, I think… while the dreams are lessening a lot lately I still have them from time to time. I actually had to use medication to help me get a good night's sleep the other day." The teen admitted sheepishly, cringing internally at the sleeping tablets Yuzu bought him from the shops.

The psychiatrist nodded.

"While I would discourage you from falling back on that method, if there was no other way then I suppose that's acceptable." The man conceded. He uncapped the nearby pen on his desk and began writing down notes on the clipboard in front of him, his handwriting flowing in a neat cursive script.

Ichigo sighed.

 _Not like there was any hope for me to begin with_ , he thought bitterly. He had decided to take Grimmjow's advice and seek a therapist for his traumatic nightmares – the only thing he had allowed himself to listen to the blue haired man on that day he had come over to try and explain himself. The fact that he had literally just kicked the guy out without listening to him made Ichigo even more determined to apologise to him for his behaviour. One month was far too long a time to spend repenting for his selfish actions.

That and the fact that he was going to see a professional for help sooner or later anyway.

"I think today we will review the proper relaxation procedures once again, Kurosaki Ichigo. If you can lie down on the sofa there I won't be a moment. Let me collect the records from last time." The therapist spoke up, Byakuya already standing and striding towards the adjoining office lined with filing cabinets. Ichigo nodded, heaving a sigh as he settled down on the sofa, rubbing his eyes as he leant back against the comfortable leather and gazed up at the ceiling.

He was frankly feeling so tired today from the lengthy day at school and trying to put up with Renji's shit that he wouldn't be surprised if he actually  _did_ fall asleep at any moment right now.

More shuffling came from the filing cabinets and soon Byakuya reapproached, carrying a bright red folder with him. The tall man seated himself down on the nearby chair, opening the contents of the pages he was carrying and readying his pen and clipboard once more.

After he had composed himself he turned his steely gaze towards the waiting teen.

"You know the drill, Kurosaki Ichigo." He spoke up, leaning back against his chair and crossing one leg over the other. Ichigo nodded, sighing heavily as he closed his eyes.

"My dreams always start out the same…" He began, pausing as he heard the scribbling brush of pen against paper. "I'm in the operating theatre. The one where mum was taken after the accident…"

As he continued to map out each vivid detail, the only thing that Ichigo could find himself to care about at that moment was how long it would be until he could finally go home.

* * *

"Antidepressants?!  _Antidepressants?!_ "

Ichigo frowned to himself as he scrunched up the medication referral, chucking the paper into the kitchen bin as soon as he unlocked the door to his home and made a beeline to the kettle to begin getting some coffee ready.

He snorted, eyeing the bench top with his brows creased in annoyance.

He knew that his visit to the therapist would as always be a waste of time – but to have Byakuya decide to say out of the blue that he needed antidepressants for his sleep disorder was, quite frankly, bloody uncalled for.

 _I don't need antidepressants! Who the hell does that asshole think he is?!_ Ichigo thought incredulously as he grabbed a mug from the nearby cupboard, spooning soluble coffee powder into the cup and pouring the boiling water in. The relaxing aroma of the caffeine calmed his nerves somewhat, and his scowl lessened faintly as he grabbed some milk from the fridge to add to the wholesome brew.

He despised taking any form of medication – even whenever he got a headache – but to be recommended  _antidepressants_ … he'd heard all sorts of weird things about some of the side effects of that medication. He certainly didn't want to add to any more of his daily lifetime troubles.

"Of course I could be paranoid… but there's no way I'm taking that shit." Ichigo mumbled out loud to himself, raising his mug and taking a slow sip of his freshly prepared beverage.

A few minutes of silence went by, the teen walking towards the lounge room and letting a content sigh escape his lips as he flopped down onto the couch.

The clock ticked in the background, the teen lifting his gaze to check the time. Yuzu and Karin had a play going on at their school today, so they wouldn't be home until later on. Ichigo currently had around four hours to himself for the day.

"S'pose I'd better do some homework or something." He grunted to himself, taking another sip of his coffee before placing the mug on the table and standing himself up once more to trudge over to his discarded schoolbag lying near the hallway.

"Let's see… Chem… eugh, no… Drama… I don't need to do anything for that… Kyouraku-sensei probably already forgot what he assigned us…" He thought out loud, picking up his books and sorting through them as he strolled back towards the couch. A bright smile formed on his lips when the next book he looked at was his English notebook. He leant his head back against the pillow.

"Free form poetry…" He mused quietly.

He tapped his fingertips idly against his thigh, thinking of various topics he could write his poem on. He was sorely tempted to write something about Aizen, but he decided against it considering Grimmjow had already paid him out one in class. Ichigo's mind went back to class earlier today, more specifically to the moment when Grimmjow had admitted he had punched the Maths sensei in the face last month.

To put it mildly, Ichigo was very impressed. Impressed yet slightly scared – the fact that the blue haired man was now on some form of contract niggling relentlessly in the back of his mind. He would have come so close to losing his job. The orangette was relieved beyond words that he hadn't. But what was bothering him perhaps the most right now was what it had been which had caused the English teacher to lash out at another member of the staff like that… he wanted to know. He could always ring up Grimmjow right now, but it didn't seem appropriate to suddenly ask him something like that after a month of virtually no contact.

He hadn't even apologised first. Ichigo bit his lip.

_I could ring him now…_

He shifted uncomfortably on the lounge.

 _No. Not yet. I need to sort myself out first_ , he thought. He was really blowing things out of proportion, but he had spent a whole month trying to forgive and forget. It wouldn't hurt to wait just a little bit longer to make sure that he would no longer be at the point of regret.

Besides, Grimmjow would definitely ask if the teen had gone to any therapy sessions. And the orangette didn't want to worry him by saying that none of them had been overly successful. He particularly didn't want to try and imagine the sensei's reaction at the youth being prescribed antidepressants. Ichigo shuddered at that thought.

As he lay there contemplating his next move, his coffee slowly growing cold, he was drawn out of his thoughts by a loud knock on the front door. Startled, the teen span around to eye the front hallway.

_Are Yuzu and Karin back already?_

He blinked, glancing back up at the clock. He frowned again. They weren't due back for another 3 and a half hours. The knocking grew louder, the sound impatient. Still frowning, Ichigo quickly got up from the lounge and made his way to the door.

"Who the hell…" He muttered, already feeling exasperated enough as it was. "Renji if that's you I swear to god…"

He closed his fingers around the handle, sighing as he pulled it towards him and opened the front door.

He froze.

"… Dad?"

* * *

"Alright, alright. I'm comin', I'm comin'!"

Grimmjow's tone was agitated as he jogged towards the front door, the doorbell ringing somewhat impatiently. He rolled his eyes, the blue haired man grumbling under his breath about people having no sense of common decency as he finished drying his damp hair with a towel, the man having just come out of the shower some few minutes ago.

He slung the towel across his shoulders, sighing as he reached out a muscled arm and pulled on the handle. He blinked, his cyan eyes gazing with an unamused expression as the door swung open to reveal a rather disgruntled looking Yylfordt.

"Took you long enough." The blond grumbled, shivering as he stuffed his hands further into his coat pockets, the air outside chilled with the onset of late afternoon. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, unable to bite back the grin on his lips as he stepped aside to allow his friend through.

"I was upstairs. Sorry fer not bein' here in a tux an' carryin' a wine glass for ya. I usually come better prepared when people let me know they're arrivin'  _beforehand_." He emphasised the last part, narrowing his eyes faintly at the burgundy eyed man. Yylfordt laughed despite himself, shrugging his shoulders and sighing as he began taking his coat off.

"Sorry Grimm. What can I say? I wanted to surprise you." He grinned back, passing his coat to the blue haired man who then slung it up on the nearby coat hook. Grimmjow snorted.

"Bastard." He muttered under his breath, leading the way through towards the living room. "Well I s'pose you'd better make yerself at home or somethin'. I'll grab us a beer. What brings you here anyway?" Grimmjow called out, his voice fading gradually as he headed towards the kitchen.

Yylfordt slumped himself down on the plush leather couch, running a hand through his hair and idly glancing around the lounge room.

"Nothing much. I had the day to myself and just wanted to catch up I guess." He called back. Grimmjow reappeared a few minutes later, Yylfordt thanking him as he took one of the beer bottles from his friend's hands.

Grimmjow sat himself down next to the blond, uncapping the lid of his own beer and taking a swig.

"Mighty thoughtful of ya Blondie." He mused. Yylfordt rolled his eyes. Grimmjow caught this, grinning around the mouth of the bottle and draining off some more of the cold alcohol before letting out a long sigh of content and placing the beer back on the table.

"It's unlike you to have some time to yerself though. What happened? You an' Szay had a fight or somethin'?" The blue haired man questioned. Yylfordt looked at him.

"What? Nah he's fine. He went out with Hirako tonight. Said something about taking him up on his offer to try out that new bar in town or something. He pulled another fast one on Kurotsuchi today and felt pretty happy about it." Yylfordt chuckled. Grimmjow snorted a laugh.

"I remember him tellin' me in the staff room after classes finished today. That boy's gonna get himself in a fuckton of trouble one of these days." The older man sniggered. Yylfordt scoffed.

"I'm not going to be there to back him up if it comes to that." The blond replied, taking a sip from his drink. Grimmjow playfully shoved him in the shoulder.

"Some brother you are." He replied. Yylfordt smiled.

"I'm amazing." He answered proudly. Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"Sure, sure. Whatever."

A companionable silence fell across the pair for a moment, broken only by the occasional sound of liquid sloshing against glass as they drank. Grimmjow placed his empty bottle down on the table, his gaze becoming pensive as he studied his friend's face for a while. Yylfordt noticed, the blond blinking and meeting cyan eyes, a fine eyebrow raised in confusion.

"What?" He asked. Grimmjow gave a tired chuckle.

"You didn't come here fer a social call did ya, 'Fordt?" He asked quietly. Yylfordt sighed, the man lifting a hand to rub it over his eyes.

"For someone who comes across as being pretty stupid a lot of the time you really are a perceptive bastard." The blond smiled faintly. Grimmjow snorted.

"Oi, watch it." He warned, his lips pulling into another grin. His smile faded a few seconds later. "But you still didn't answer my question." He pointed out.

Yylfordt was silent for a few minutes.

"Things aren't goin' too well with you an' Cirucci?" The blue haired man asked cautiously.

"No, nothing like that. We're cool." Yylfordt answered, waving the comment off. He fixed his gaze steadily on cyan eyes. "I'm actually here because I was worried about you, Grimm."

Grimmjow blinked.

"What?" He blurted out.

Yylfordt shifted so he was sitting up straighter on the couch, the man leaning forwards a little and resting his hands on his knees. His burgundy eyed gaze swept towards the half-drunk beer bottle he had placed on the table.

"I dunno. You just kinda seemed… really out of it this past month. I wasn't going to say anything about it but… it's been killing me to watch you retreat into yourself like that." He mumbled. Grimmjow blinked again.

He sighed, lifting a hand and rubbing his eyes, giving a tired chuckle.

"I'm fine 'Fordt." He replied. Yylfordt's eyes narrowed.

"Are you though?" He asked, his tone sharp. Grimmjow was momentarily taken aback.

"What are y—"

"Listen to me. I know you probably better than anyone else, Grimm. More than Szayel, more than Hirako, more than the rest of the guys at basketball. Hell, maybe even better than you know yourself. Now I know it's none of my business but before this new semester of yours started at that high school you were acting like you are now. Brooding and keeping to yourself and shit. Then Ichi came along, and I don't think I'd ever seen you so happy. And then… something happened. Shortly after you had to cancel that match with me. I know Ichigo was involved somehow and I want to know exactly what happened." The blond spoke up, his eyes still trained intently on the man next to him.

Grimmjow was at a loss for words.

"… 'Fordt…" He began, swallowing thickly. "It's n—"

"I just said I know it's none of my business. But cut the crap and tell me. I think I deserve that right." Yylfordt replied, cutting over his friend. His tone left no room for argument.

Grimmjow's expression turned hard.

There was a long silence.

"I…" Grimmjow took a deep breath, letting out another tired chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. He shook his head, uncertain as to whether he should kick the man out or humour him. None of it mattered in the end, seeing as the blond was too sharp for his own good.

"I… it's fine I said. Some minor misunderstandin', that's all. But we sorta made up about it today an' things will be fine if given a little more time. So stop pesterin' me and go bother someone else." He ground out, the words a lot harsher than intended. His eyes narrowed when Yylfordt gave him the exact opposite reaction as to what he was expecting. The blond smiled. Quite triumphantly.

"I knew it." The younger man chuckled. Grimmjow frowned.

"Knew what?" He questioned, his voice coming out as a hiss. Yylfordt leaned back against the couch, facing his friend. That knowing smile never left his lips.

"You two have a relationship." He stated, his eyes glinting. Grimmjow almost felt his jaw drop to the ground.

"WHAT?!" He yelled. Yylfordt looked unfazed. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing as he did so.

"Don't play stupid. It doesn't suit you." He murmured.

Grimmjow felt his throat constrict tightly, almost as if someone had an invisible hold around his neck. He clenched his hands over his knees.

"What… what gives you the right to make that assumption?" He hissed. Yylfordt blinked lazily at him.

"The same right which allowed me to make that assumption back when we were together." He said simply. Grimmjow closed his eyes, leaning forwards and burying his head in his hands, a forced laugh escaping his lips.

"That was then." He murmured faintly. He could feel movement, the man next to him evidently shifting so he could sit closer. Grimmjow sighed, not looking up as he felt a head come to rest on his shoulder, strands of long hair brushing over his arm.

"True. But that doesn't mean I don't have to stop worrying about you." Yylfordt murmured quietly. Grimmjow allowed a smile to cross his lips.

"That was so fucking cheesy." He retorted. Yylfordt punched him in the arm.

"Shut the fuck up." He scoffed. "I'm trying to have a moment here."

Grimmjow chuckled drily, gazing absentmindedly at the opposite wall.

"You have to be careful though." Yylfordt murmured out again a moment later, his voice slightly muffled from where his head was still resting against Grimmjow's shoulder. Grimmjow's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not a complete idiot, 'Fordt. I know only too damn well something like this could ruin me. I don't even wanna begin to think about how bad it'd be for Ichi either if we were found out." His breath hitched at the end of his sentence.

Yylfordt gave a faint murmur in response.

"How far did you go?" He asked. Grimmjow froze at the question. He didn't want to have to reveal any of the embarrassing personal details to the blond next to him – no matter if they  _were_ close at one stage. But then he figured that it didn't really matter anymore. He hadn't intended to tell anyone about this... but seeing as Yylfordt had already found out somehow - he didn't know how and he frankly didn't  _want_ to know - there wasn't much point in denying the truth. The world was already going to hell after all. Grimmjow's world, anyway.

_Besides, he wouldn't tell anyone. He an' Szay are the only other people 'sides from Ichi I can literally trust with my life._

"Nothin' more than a kiss one night when we were both pretty sloshed." He replied automatically. Yylfordt frowned slightly.

"You left him didn't you? Straight after." He guessed. Grimmjow smiled bitterly.

"Yeah… yeah I did. I really messed him up too. But… I think he's startin' to finally trust me again. It's been a month an' he finally looked at me in class today. I've been keepin' my distance from him an' lettin' him sort himself out but... shit I didn't mean to do that I just… I was just… scared." His throat suddenly felt far too dry.

Yylfordt sighed, moving his hand up to trace idle circles against Grimmjow's clothed chest.

"I can sympathise with the kid. I mean it's clear he sees you as more than just a friend, Grimmjow. You're probably the only thing keeping him sane in-between what he has to put up with from his father, from what you've told me. I'd bet anything that the only time anyone's ever seen him really smile is when he's in your class. You really fucked up, but I'm glad you have enough sense to realise that. If not I'd begin to seriously question why I even dated you in the first place." He sighed.

Grimmjow scoffed faintly.

"Since when did you become all poetic an' shit?" He asked. Yylfordt grinned.

"I've always had a good judge of character. C'mon, give a guy a break!" He retorted.

Grimmjow fell silent, mulling over his friend's words, only half paying attention to the hand which was still tracing light circles over his abdomen. He found the motion comforting, but something in the back of his mind was annoying him slightly. He didn't know what it was, but he shifted a little uncomfortably the more that hand continued to move, making his muscles flex in response.

"'Fordt…" He murmured lowly.

"Hm?"

"Can you… stop that?" He asked quietly. Yylfordt immediately withdrew his hand.

"Sorry, I wasn't even aware I was doing it." The blond laughed, pulling back a little. Grimmjow managed a faint smile, making to stand up to dispose of the empty beer bottles when he paused, catching the look on the blond's face. Yylfordt was studying him curiously, an eyebrow raised and a smile quirking on his lips. Grimmjow frowned.

"What?" He asked warily. Yylfordt laughed again.

"No, nothing. You just haven't really changed is all since high school. Little displays of affection like that still bother you by the looks of things." He mused. Grimmjow snorted, already withdrawing back to the kitchen to throw the bottles out in the bin. He returned some few minutes later, crossing his arms over his chest as he leant against the wall, facing the younger man who was still seated on the lounge.

"If you knew that then why'd you do it?" He asked, raising a blue eyebrow. Yylfordt shrugged, standing up and stretching his arms a little above his head, running his hands through his hair again as he approached his friend.

"Who knows? Perhaps some small part of me wanted to see if you'd changed. Or was hoping you'd changed anyway." He answered, his tone amused. Grimmjow ran a hand through his hair.

"I dunno what you want from me 'Fordt but I've kind of got enough on my plate to deal with right now without yer creepy vague shit addin' to the mix. You an' yer brother are far too much alike, you know that right?" He answered.

Yylfordt grimaced slightly.

"Hardly." He responded.

Grimmjow pushed away from the wall.

"Say what you will, Blondie. Doesn't change a thing." He announced, starting to make off towards the front hallway. "You were just leavin' yeah?" He called out.

Yylfordt nodded, following the blue haired man and making to grab his coat as it was handed to him. The afternoon was drawing on, the last remnants of sunlight glistening over the rooftops of the houses across the street.

No sooner had he grabbed the garment had Yylfordt paused, glancing back at the blue haired man. He leant forwards so his head was level with Grimmjow's, his lips close to the other man's ear as he whispered his next words carefully, ignoring the way that Grimmjow froze up at the close proximity and the sharp intake of breath which passed his lips.

"I know things can't ever go back to the way they were with us, but if you ruin that kid's life again because you were 'scared', then I'll never forgive you. Ichi sure as hell won't either. Just remember that."

Grimmjow's eyes widened. Yylfordt pulled away, his eyes hard as he gazed into those conflicted cyan depths. Grimmjow looked like he was on the verge of retorting but was stopped when he realised by that expression on the blond's face that he was deadly serious.

"... 'Fordt?"

Yylfordt continued to gaze hardly at him.

"That's also why I stopped by. I thought I might as well kick some sense into your thick skull." He added.

Grimmjow could only blink, unable to look away from the burgundy eyes in front of him. Yylfordt's words rang through his head with all the clarity of a school bell and the harsh realisation of the meaning behind them was enough to make the English teacher want to slide down and vomit.

"You…" He found he couldn't speak. Yylfordt rose an eyebrow.

"Me what?" He questioned.

Grimmjow blinked again.

"I want you to go out there and apologise to him. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month...  _tonight_ , Grimmjow." The blond spoke up, his eyes still narrowed. "I'll drive you over there if you can't be fucked doing it yourself but I want to be there and hear you say those words out loud right to his face."

Grimmjow's throat tightened again.

"I..."

"Do you have your phone on you?"

Grimmjow felt momentarily stunned.

"Yeah, 'course." His voice sounded faint to his own ears. Yylfordt looked unimpressed.

"Good. Call him up. Now. Tell him you're coming over there." He demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

Grimmjow snapped back into reality.

"He needs time." He growled, his eyes narrowing. Yylfordt's expression was incredulous.

"Time?" He echoed. "Grimmjow he's had one fucking _month_! How much  _more_ time do you think he needs?!" His voice had risen into a yell, Grimmjow's ears ringing.

"'Fordt shut the fuck u–"

"No I don't think so, Grimm. Unlike you I actually know what I'm doing here. That kid is bleeding on the inside! By giving him space you've only hurt him more! Ask me how I know this. Go on. _Ask me_." The blond practically seethed at the blue haired man, Grimmjow shaking his head and raising a hand to his mouth.

"No... 'Fordt I mean it. Just shut the fuck up already!" He hissed. Yylfordt snorted a dry laugh.

"Ask me, Jaegerjaquez." He repeated icily.

"NO!" Grimmjow snapped at him. Yylfordt's eyes flared and he reached out to fist his hand through Grimmjow's shirt, momentarily taking the blue haired man by surprise as his back slammed into the wall and caused the picture frames to rattle. All he could see was burgundy eyes ablaze with fury, Yylfordt's expression lethal.

"I KNOW BECAUSE THE SAME THING HAPPENED WITH US, GRIMMJOW!" He yelled. "You think that us cutting it off like that when we started college wouldn't make me feel hurt by that?! BECAUSE I WAS PRETTY FUCKING HURT, JAEGERJAQUEZ." He slammed Grimmjow against the wall again when the teacher made to shove him away, Grimmjow growling against the pain rocketing through his shoulders but otherwise unable to do anything as Yylfordt vented his rage at him. He felt numb inside.

Numb because he knew that what the blond was saying was the truth.

And that hurt like all fucking hell.

"'Fordt..." He croaked. Yylfordt cut him off.

"So you get your sorry fucking ass out there and APOLOGISE to Ichigo, Grimmjow... because I'll be damned if I see the same thing happen all over again!" He hissed.

Grimmjow was left staring into dark eyes as the blond loosened his grip on his shirt, the younger man sneering at the English teacher as he made to turn around and head out the door. Before he knew what he was doing Grimmjow loosed another growl from his throat and he reached out, roughly grabbing a fistful of blond hair and yanking the man back.

Yylfordt cried out, his eyes wide and angry as he stumbled forwards, his fists flying up to connect with Grimmjow's face in retaliation. Grimmjow caught the man's fingers in his free hand, his eyes narrowed almost into near slits as he maintained his rough hold in the blond's hair. They were left standing there, eyes smouldering hatefully at each other. The rage soon quelled down into a liquid calm, and Grimmjow loosed a tired chuckle as his expression eventually softened.

"Sometimes I really hate you, Granz. You know that, right?" He sighed.

Yylfordt pushed away from him when Grimmjow let go, the blond smoothing his hair carefully out behind his back.

"Feeling's entirely mutual, Jaegerjaquez." He replied icily. They glared at one another again, the tension almost tangible. Grimmjow ran a hand over his eyes, the man tilting his head back against the wall and gazing up at the ceiling.

"I have a real long history of fuckin' things up." He mumbled out loud to no one in particular. Yylfordt scoffed.

"You think?" He retorted.

Grimmjow found he couldn't respond to that one. Instead he let out another tired chuckle, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. Yylfordt watched him closely, waiting to see what would happen. Grimmjow held it for a while, his gaze now pensive as he slowly looked back at the blond.

"I'll call 'him." He announced, though his voice sounded hoarse. Yylfordt nodded.

"Good." He replied curtly. Grimmjow slid his phone back into his pocket and turned to face the younger man fully.

"But I'm not done with you yet." He added. Yylfordt narrowed his eyes again.

"I'm not in the mood for this shit, Jaegerjaquez." He muttered. Grimmjow sneered.

"Me either, so shut the fuck up an' listen to me. You think you were the only one who felt upset at us breakin' it off? I felt bad fer fuckin'  _months_ , Yylfordt. But that doesn't give you the right to come here an' yell at me about somethin' that's all in the past now an' has been fer the past ten fuckin' years, alright?!" It was Grimmjow who was yelling now, his eyes blazing as he rounded on the blond again. Yylfordt steeled himself, not even moving when that hand fisted once more through his hair. He just gazed calmly up at Grimmjow, allowing the man to say his piece before he punched him one in the face and then some.

"You have to understand... Ichi means everythin' to me, 'Fordt! I don't wanna make the same mistakes with him, ok?! I need this one constant in my life right now an' if he needs time then I'll give him all the fuckin' time in the world! It was easy fer you 'cos you had someone else to turn to straight after we broke up - I had  _no one_ , 'Fordt. I don't think you know how that feels." He choked at the end, Grimmjow growling out angrily at this pathetic display of weakness. So much for him being a man about this.

Yylfordt's expression softened however and his lips pulled apart into the slightest hint of a smile.

"Oh I think I do." He answered. Grimmjow glared at him. The blond ignored it, simply reaching up to touch his hand to the side of Grimmjow's cheek, stroking gently.

Grimmjow watched him warily, trying not to flinch against the touch.

"Don't." He bit out. "I can't. Not now."

"I know you can't. And that's why I'm doing this." Yylfordt murmured. And Grimmjow wasn't able to think, wasn't even able to voice a hoarse retort as warm lips pressed to his own. He froze, his eyes widening. He tried to reach up to shove the blond off of him, but those lips remained steadfast as they slowly melded against his own, lips once so familiar to him sparking a dormant dance that had been sleeping since the last time they had made contact like this together. And for once Grimmjow was fully unable to do anything except let it happen. His heart felt like it was bleeding – torn apart from the inside like a bullet wound to the chest. His eyes squeezed shut, and against all cries for him to pull away, to fight back, he only found that he was becoming sucked in – spiralling down into the darkness he had personally created for himself.

An angered groan escaped his throat and his lips moved, kissing fiercely back and taking the blond by surprise. Hands flew up to fist through long tresses of waist-length hair, gripping and pulling tightly, and breathless gasps were swallowed by warm moist lips even as Grimmjow guided Yylfordt back – hate, desperation and loathing for himself pouring into their kiss and transforming it into a flurry of bittersweet violent emotion.

A pained moan shot through Yylfordt's throat, the man's eyes fluttering when Grimmjow tugged once more on his hair, biting down against his firm lips and hungrily sucking away at the wound he had made, his tongue plunging uninvited but not unwelcomed inside the younger man's warm mouth.

Harsh pants for air escaped their lips, and as lightly tanned hands rose up to fist through locks of unruly blue, the older man becoming forced back in a heated turn of the tables, when Grimmjow found himself pushed back against the couch, Yylfordt straddling his hips and sending hot kisses flying, behind his closed eyes all he could see, breathe and feel… was Ichigo.


	15. Emergency

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning guys, this chapter contains content which might be distressing to some readers. If you have any criticising comments or flames about the content please keep them to yourself as I did just warn you after all. Thank you.

This… this couldn't be.

He inhaled sharply, his fingers trembling from where they were gripping the doorhandle so tightly his knuckles were turning white against his skin.

 _What… what the hell's_ HE  _doing here?!_

Brown eyes narrowed, no longer puffy and bloodshot as they focused onto his own. The man stood there, face unshaven, black hair greying to the roots unkempt and untidy. The scent of alcohol coming off of him wasn't as strong as it usually was – he'd evidently washed to some degree – but the rancid scent of cigarettes and something else Ichigo didn't want to identify washed over his nose.

His mind went blank.

"… Dad?"

A low grunt came from the man before him, Kurosaki Isshin roughly pushing past his bewildered son into the front hall of the household, the man's eyes darting around and taking note of what was where. Ichigo remained standing at the door, still frozen stock still as he gazed unblinkingly at the now vacated front porch.

_How…_

He felt his chest constrict.

_How is he here?!_

"I see you managed to get yourself sorted out here."

Ichigo's eyes wavered, his father's rough voice filling his ears and making him tense up. This wasn't real. It couldn't be. He hadn't seen his father since that last time… those two months ago… he'd been taken away – he and his sisters hadn't heard anything about him since. They just assumed he would stay locked up somewhere, living with that whore he'd shacked up with since Masaki's death.

They hadn't heard absolutely  _anything_ from him… and they had been happy.

Ichigo's fingers clenched.

_So why…?_

"Well? Aren't ya gonna greet me properly, boy?" Isshin was talking again, his voice low as he turned around to eye his son.

Ichigo gulped, outwardly appearing calm – yet on the inside he was on the verge of a panic attack. He could feel it rising in his chest, the need to cry out, to scream. He slowly turned his head, his expression just as frozen in shock as the rest of his body.

Isshin's eyes narrowed harshly at his son.

Ichigo desperately fought the urge to run out that open door.

"W-what are you… doing here?" He whispered. Isshin snorted, trudging over to the couch and grunting out as he sat himself down, kicking his muddy boots out and crossing them carelessly over the coffee table.

"Payin' you a visit, you little shit." His father snapped, eyeing the furniture with his nose upturned. "Where're Karin and Yuzu?"

Ichigo's legs gave way, the teen slumping back against the wall. He knew he was going into shock. He didn't realise just how much could change within two months. Now that this man was in front of him again… everything, all the beatings, the yelling, the abuse… it all came back. Crushing him. Overwhelming him. Drowning him whole. Ichigo instinctively reached towards his pocket, trying to find his phone.

If he could just call him…

He felt his blood turn to ice when his fingers grappled weakly at thin air. His phone was on the table. By his father.

He started to hyperventilate.

_No…_

"You listenin' to me, brat?" Isshin had started up again, his foul mouth working once again. "Where the fuck are yer sisters?"

Ichigo tried to regain some sort of grip on himself – he didn't want that man to see that he was scared. That was the  _last_ thing he wanted that monster to realise. Ichigo would freely admit to himself that he was struck by fear… but never to anyone else.  _Especially_ him.

He swallowed, trying to moisten his dry mouth.

"At school." He finally managed to respond at length. Isshin grunted again.

"Why aren't you there?" He spat. Ichigo backed up further against the wall.

"Finished classes for today." He replied quietly. Isshin seemed to consider this. It was startling to see how sharp his gaze could appear when he wasn't drunk. Those dark brown eyes seemed to stare right through the orangette's soul, freezing him in place. Ichigo didn't know which stare was worse – the one he was being subjected to right now, or the usual sight of bloodshot eyes working hard to focus.

Isshin returned his gaze ahead of him, reaching down to pick up the TV remote and turn the television set on in the process.

A silence fell over the pair, a silence unable to be broken no matter how loud the volume of the channel was. Ichigo didn't know what to do. He wanted to take his phone, scramble back and call someone –  _anyone_ for help. But he couldn't move his legs.

He just wanted to disappear.

"I managed to get away for a bit." His father had started up again, the man speaking up over the drone of the TV. Ichigo blinked, slowly lifting his gaze back to the black haired man in front of him.

"I'm tellin' you why I'm here, boy. Quit lookin' at me with that fuckin' pathetic face." He snapped, Isshin now directing his full attention back towards his son. Ichigo's jaw clenched. His father ran a hand through the greasy matted strands of his hair. "A friend paid me a visit and helped me leave for a while… dunno when I have to get back there though. Probably when the cops arrive." He snickered, scratching at the stubble on his cheek and giving a crooked smile. "Ah well. It'd be worth it. After all I just wanted to see my beloved son."

Ichigo blinked, his eyes widening.

"… What?" He whispered.

He didn't know whether he had heard right. For the briefest of moments it sounded as if… his father had used the words… "beloved son"…

"What are you playing at?" The shaky words escaped his lips before he could stop himself.

A laugh barked from Isshin's mouth as the man slowly stood up, walking around the couch and reaching out to grab Ichigo by the wrist.

Ichigo panicked, his eyes squeezing shut and his chest constricting painfully as he tried to pull away from the man's cold fingers, his chest and mind flaring with fear. He winced, preparing himself for the beating which was surely to follow – but it never arrived.

_Huh?!_

Ichigo let out an audible gasp, the teen's eyes snapping open when he was simply pulled down onto the couch, his father slinging an arm around his shoulder in an evident attempt at comfort.

_What?!_

He resisted the urge to gag against the rancid scent of the man as that heavy arm continued to wrap around his shoulders – neither intending to hurt him, though not intending to let the teen pull away either. Ichigo's mind was working overtime, faint beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His heart began pounding rapidly inside his chest, the urge to lurch forwards, grab his phone and run outside becoming steadily stronger by the second.

_Get off of me…_

"'M not playing at anything." His father continued, his voice unnervingly close to Ichigo's ear. The smell of his breath was almost as rancid as the rest of him. "I wanted to apologise."

Now Ichigo really  _did_ pull away from his father, the orange haired youth scrambling back against the couch. His eyes were wide, his lips trembling. His palms began sweating. His heart was beating so loud he could hear it thumping in his ears.

"Stop it…" He whispered hoarsely. Isshin blinked, a confused expression forming on his face.

"Ichi?" He asked. Ichigo jumped up, grabbing his phone quickly and putting as much distance between himself and his father as he could manage.

"Stay away from me!" He cried out. Isshin narrowed his eyes.

"The fuck are you gettin' so worked up about? I just said I was sorry for how I treated you. That's no way to talk to yer father." The man grunted out as he stood up, slowly approaching his son. Ichigo gasped, warm tears already forming in his eyes.

_This has to be a nightmare… it has to… there's no way…_

"G-get out…" He choked. His father stopped in his tracks. Ichigo slowly raised his fearful gaze, his body already tense and alert, ready to react if his father shot out and made to hit him. Isshin was silent, his gaze unreadable as he looked at his son.

And then, he did the last thing that Ichigo was expecting.

He smiled.

"I really am sorry, Ichi." He murmured, his rough voice soft. Ichigo's brown eyes widened so far he could almost feel his eyebrows reaching the ceiling. He trembled.

"…What… are you–"

He wasn't able to respond, as in that moment Isshin had crossed the distance between them and reached out, wrapping his arms tightly around his son in a bone-crushing hug.

A clatter of something falling onto the ground echoed in Ichigo's ears. He had dropped his phone.

He couldn't blink, couldn't react. Couldn't see. His eyes were open, but all he could focus on in front of him was a blank nothing. He was hot – his father's body too warm. His skin scrawled, Ichigo wanting to rip himself free. This couldn't be happening… it couldn't be… something was wrong… he was going to be killed, he knew it.

_Help me…_

Tears flowed down his cheeks.

_Someone… please help me…_

His father tightened his hold around his son, seemingly oblivious to the lack of response on the boy's part. He began humming quietly next to Ichigo's ear, the tune unidentifiable. It made Ichigo's blood turn to ice.

His father never hummed.

Something was wrong with him. Very wrong.

"I've missed you, Ichigo." Isshin murmured, his tone cheerful as he sighed. Ichigo gulped, finally finding the strength to lift his hands to try pushing the man off of him. He now knew what it was, the scent washing over him from his father being something the teen had tried to forget. He still reeked of the usual alcohol and cigarettes… but there was something else there. Something worse.

"You've been doing drugs again…" Ichigo whispered, his voice mortified as he struggled, gritting his teeth when his father simply ignored him and held him closer.

"Hmm?" Isshin hummed. Ichigo choked.

"Get… off… me…" He hissed, swallowing thickly as he found his voice.

His father didn't reply, the man now hugging Ichigo so tightly the teen thought his back would break. He had to get him off somehow. He had to run. Call the police – do  _something_! It was clear that his father was on the run from them. Ichigo didn't know who had gotten him out of rehab but what he  _did_ know was that if he could call the cops they could take him away and throw him back there. Hopefully without Ichigo himself getting hurt in the process.

His roaming eyes spied his phone on the ground. Ichigo's teeth grit tighter again.

_If only I can get him off me for long enough to call the cops… I'll say I'll make him some coffee or something… then I can get out of here._

With this plan in mind he tried to wrestle Isshin away from him for long enough so he could look up at his father's face, as much as it pained him to do so. It was hard enough already seeing as his body was weak with fear. He couldn't do anything. His heart was beating so hard he thought it might give out. He was feeling overwhelmingly dizzy.

"'M sorry, Ichi." Isshin mumbled against Ichigo's neck, one arm dropping to circle around his son's back. Ichigo froze, letting out a revolted gasp, his skin feeling like it had been burned. He grunted, finally managing to push the drugged man off of him, Isshin stumbling as he fell against the wall. Ichigo reached down and picked up his phone, his breathing heavy as he span around, using the couch to keep his distance.

He hated that name. He hated the close proximity. And what he hated the most was that he only liked it when it was Grimmjow who would call him that, hold him like that.

His eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching.

Isshin was blinking, his expression confused as he gazed around. It looked like he didn't even know where he was. Eventually his eyes locked onto Ichigo, and his features shifted. His face became angry.

Ichigo trembled, his fingers weakly grasping his phone. He knew that look only far too well… no other facial expression would cut him to the heart like that. That look… the hardening of brown eyes, the furrowing of black eyebrows and the animalistic sneer of that hard mouth… always,  _always_ signified that he was about to be harmed.

"Stay away from me…" He whispered, pleading now as Isshin slowly straightened himself up. His father sneered, his emotions all over the place from the drugs coursing through his bloodstream.

"C'mere, brat." He hissed. Ichigo shook his head.

"Dad… I think you should leave." He stammered, edging back as Isshin began to stalk forwards. "I'll call the cops…"

Isshin barked out a laugh at the feeble threat. He raised a hand. Ichigo instinctively flinched.

"And today was such a lovely day, too…" Isshin smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. Ichigo was scared. He was fucking terrified. His father… was absolutely insane. He stumbled further back.

"I thought I'd pay my loving son a visit but they wouldn't let me see you, can you believe that?" Isshin mused, his voice now sounding oddly quiet, as if he was talking to himself. Ichigo was almost at the door, his hand sliding out to grasp the handle.

"'Course Rangiku was pleased to see me. That woman is insatiable. Wanton bitch." Isshin chuckled. Ichigo gulped, glancing down quickly to gaze at his list of phone contacts.

 _C'mon… where's the number?_ His palms were sweating profusely.

_Where's the goddamn number?!_

"What are ya scramblin' at yer phone for?"

Ichigo yelped when his father's voice sounded startlingly close to his ear, and he only had enough time to spin around to find himself face-to-face with the man when his thick hands reached out and clasped around his wrist, capturing them in a vice-like grip. Isshin smiled, glancing down at the screen.

"Grimmjow? Who'zat?" He mumbled, squinting his eyes so he could see the name better. Ichigo felt his stomach lurch.

_Shit!_

"A friend." He ground out, yanking his hand free from Isshin's grasp. The man's brows furrowed as he watched Ichigo retreat again, the youth now quickly making a beeline into the kitchen.

Isshin cocked his head to the side, his eyes focused yet not focused on his son.

"Grimmjow…" He mumbled under his breath.

Ichigo was panting, internally breaking down. He couldn't run out the door, not with his father right next to it. He could have laughed – a long, bitter laugh – right then if he could. Two months of not having to live in fear of this monster had certainly made him quite lax and helpless when normally he could deal with the bastard with ease.

 _Karma really is a bitch_ , the youth thought darkly to himself.

He moved to select his teacher's number. He  _had_  been who he was trying to contact before, after all. He didn't know what drove him to do it, but somehow he thought it would be safer off then trying to get the police involved first.

"S'funny… I reckon I've heard that name before…" Isshin spoke up. Ichigo promptly froze.

"Yeah… he's that teacher of yers at school, inn't he?" The black haired man grumbled out. Ichigo slowly lifted his head.

_I've never told him about Grimmjow… how does he know…?_

Isshin caught the look on his son's face and laughed again.

"Yeah, tha's right. I remember someone tellin' me about 'im. One of the guys responsible fer gettin' me sent off to that hellhole. So  _he's_ the one, eh?" The man paused, chuckling. Ichigo's skin felt like it was crawling. He didn't know where this was going… but he certainly didn't like it.

Not in the slightest.

_Shit…_

Well that plan backfired. He glanced back down, biting his lip as he hastily scrolled through the rest of his contacts, quickly checking to see if there was anyone else he could call up. His stomach dropped. There wasn't.

_Police it is then…_

"At least he's willin' to support you where I wasn't able to. Kinda funny though, innit? I don't like the idea of some upstart high school teacher takin' care of  _my_ kids." Isshin grunted out, approaching once again.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes, his thumb highlighted over the number he had selected on his contacts list.

"Why? It's not like you ever did anything for us in the first place." He bit out. He immediately wished he hadn't.

Isshin's face had contorted into a barely repressed sneer of rage. Ichigo wasn't given a second to react as his father had reached out, grabbing the teen by the shoulders and gripping down tightly. Ichigo repressed a cry of pain.

"What the  _fuck_ was that?" Isshin breathed, his face so close to Ichigo's the teen felt he would pass out from the rancid force of his breath.

"N-noth—"

"I've done  _everything_  for you, boy!" Isshin spat, his pupils contracting. "I came here to give you a visit to see how you were goin', and  _this_ is how you repay me?! YOU FUCKIN' BRAT!"

He moved his hand, and Ichigo saw white as knuckles collided harshly with his head, the teen choking out and gasping as he fell back from the force of the blow. His brain exploded with pain, and in that blinding, dizzying moment, the only thing he could clearly think about doing was pressing down on the call button on his phone.

He curled up, weakly grasping his phone, trying to stumble away from his father as Isshin raised his hand again.

_Please… hurry! Hurry up!_

"COME BACK HERE!"

He yelped, rolling out of the way and standing up to dash towards the kitchen, Isshin's next strike landing on the ground where Ichigo was lying just seconds previously. The teen panted, his eyes wide and his heart leaping to his chest as he tried to get air into his lungs, his body trembling so much he thought he would loose his footing and fall back down.

He heard the dial tone beeping through the phone still clasped weakly in his hand.

He thought he was going to be sick – his head felt like it was on fire. Tears were pooling down his eyes. He managed to reach up and block the next hit from the man stalking towards him, Isshin stumbling back and cussing loudly as he gripped his scratched arm.

"Help me…" Ichigo was panting, wheezing into the phone. He didn't know what was happening anymore. He could barely think.

He tore back out through the living room, making it halfway to the door.

The phone continued to beep.

"Hurry up… p-please answer me!"

"GET BACK HERE, BRAT!"

Ichigo yelled out, his hair being gripped tightly from behind. He saw white spots dance across his vision as the roots were yanked roughly, the tears flowing freely down his cheeks as he span around and threw another punch to keep his father at bay. His knuckles collided with the man's stubbled cheek and Isshin roared in agony. Ichigo heard a clicking noise and he managed to pull his phone to his ear, screaming himself hoarse to the person on the other end as another blow came so close to almost landing on his back.

" _GRIMMJOW! HELP ME!_ "

* * *

He didn't hear it at first.

The only sound assaulting his ears was the moist meeting of lips, hot breath mingling and heavy gasps for air sealing all inhibitions within his brain, only allowing him to feel the man above him – hear him, touch him, take him in and become lost to the low, guttural moans escaping his parted lips as Grimmjow bit, sucked, licked and marked that swan-like throat with hungry, lustful kisses.

Yylfordt's eyes rolled back, the man releasing another breathless moan when Grimmjow had raked his fingers down his back – both men's shirts having been divested long ago. The blond arched, his muscles rippling as he ground his hips back down over the older man's lap, Grimmjow growling and panting harshly when the action sent hot jolts of pleasure coursing through his body.

Somewhere in the back of his fogged mind he knew that this was wrong, that this wasn't what he wanted… but he was left helpless and longing the moment his ex-lover had pushed him against that couch earlier, held him down and slid between his parted legs and used that sharp mouth of his for something other than providing smart retorts for once.

Grimmjow latched his mouth back down against the slowly reddening tanned skin of the blond's neck, chuckling at the keening moans breaking that deep, smooth voice above him. Fingers trembled, gripping his hair and yanking it harshly as the blond gave a breathless laugh, burgundy eyes hazed as he guided Grimmjow's head back up so he could assault those firm lips once more with a merciless open-mouthed kiss.

Something buzzed from the coffee table.

They ignored it, Grimmjow smirking when Yylfordt's hot tongue slid out and attempted to wrap around his own, trying to guide the older man's tongue inside his mouth in a teasing bid for dominance. Grimmjow merely pulled back, licking his lips and eyeing the dishevelled and rather aroused appearance of his friend, the sight of the blond panting and bared before him doing wonders to his own little 'problem', as well as reminding him fondly of how things used to be all those years ago.

"Still as eager as ever, 'Fordt…" Grimmjow breathed, fisting his hands through locks of silken blond and tugging harshly, Yylfordt letting out a pleased pained gasp as his mouth forcefully collided with the hot firmness of the other's above him. He allowed himself to be pushed back against the couch, pillows flying as bodies ground down, groans splitting the air.

"Kinda… hard not to be… you're a hot bastard Grimm…" Yylfordt chuckled, his eyes fluttering once more when Grimmjow had latched his mouth around the pebbled bud of a nipple, licking and biting the sensitive flesh. Yylfordt's knuckles flew to his mouth to silence his cries, the man bucking up against the pleasurable sensation.

Grimmjow was about to make a retort when the buzzing near his ear grew louder. He sighed, cussing and grumbling to himself as he slowly pulled away, less than pleased at the rude interruption. Yylfordt blinked, the man's chest continuing to heave in time with his harsh pants for breath, the man's hair splayed out around his face and his skin slicked faintly with sweat.

He watched with glazed darkened eyes as Grimmjow managed to locate his phone, the screen lighting up and continuing to vibrate against the tabletop. He huffed, raising a blond eyebrow as the blue haired man cast him a quick apologetic glance.

"What? The phone's more important than me now?" Yylfordt teased, his smug tone back in place as he regained control of his breathing. Grimmjow gave him the finger.

"Shut up 'Fordt. Go back to being a wanton bitch." He dismissed, waving his hand. Yylfordt laughed, running a palm over his face to wipe some perspiration free from his forehead. Grimmjow chuckled, watching this and shaking his head as he glanced back at his phone. He was tempted to throw the bloody thing outside if only it would give them a moment's peace.

Cussing again to himself he was all set to do that when he saw the caller ID on the screen.

He froze.

"Grimm?"

Grimmjow ignored the blond's call of his name, the English teacher's fingers trembling as they clasped the phone weakly.

_Why is he calling me…?_

He raised it to his ear without a moment's second thought, his cyan eyes wide as he answered the call.

"Ichi?" He was thankful he sounded calm.

That all changed the second he heard a loud crash on the other line.

"ICHI!" He yelled, his rough voice now panicked. Yylfordt had scrambled up from the couch, the blond's own eyes wide.

"What's wrong with him?!" He hissed out urgently. Grimmjow shook his head. He couldn't hear anything except crashing… heavy thuds followed by the sound of glass shattering.

He almost dropped the phone.

Someone was screaming out.

" _GET BACK HERE, BRAT!"_

Grimmjow's heart stopped.

" _GRIMMJOW! HELP ME!_ "

A dull thud echoed in his ears. His phone clattered onto the ground.

Grimmjow's vision blurred. He thought he could see red as he jumped up, hastily pulling his shirt back on and already racing towards the front door, guided by nothing but pure, blinding fear.

_Ichi…_

"I'll drive." Yylfordt's voice was shaken as the blond slung his shirt over his shoulders and grabbed his car keys from his coat pocket before sprinting outside along with Grimmjow, the pair racing towards the black Audi parked by the curb.

The car screeched onto the road as they sped off.

* * *

"STOP IT!"

He bit down on his tongue with how hard he had grit his teeth and he felt the metallic tang of his own blood pooling in his mouth, Ichigo grunting against the pain shooting through his head as he pushed his father back after Isshin had tried to hit him again.

He felt his body shake, Ichigo blinking away desperate angry tears as he shrunk against the wall, reaching out and managing to block Isshin's next strike with his leg as he kneed him in the gut, sending the drugged man stumbling away once more.

Isshin let out an enraged roar, the man so far gone he didn't appear to realise what he was doing anymore. Ichigo's eyes narrowed, his eyelids stinging. He was panting harshly, trying to find some means to run out and escape. His phone had been lost when his father had beat him on the back some twenty minutes ago – Ichigo in amidst the confusion and fear not being able to locate it again.

He hoped to whatever god would listen that his teacher had heard him when he had screamed himself hoarse at him over his call, the man taking so long to pick up the phone he had half suspected he had purposely ignored him at first. If he was in any other frame of mind right now he would have laughed bitterly at the rather intriguing voice mail message his cries for help would have made… but right now the pain… the pain and the horror of what he was being subjected to…

Ichigo didn't think he would be able to laugh ever again.

"FUCKIN' PIECE OF SHIT!"

Isshin was sobbing now, the drugs pumping through his system making his eyes wild, his voice broken and his words slurred. His eyes were darting back and forth – Ichigo clearly able to see from where he had scrambled behind the couch to nurse his head that the man was unable to focus clearly anymore.

"WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Ichigo sucked in a deep breath, his entire body trembling. He was thankful Yuzu and Karin weren't at home to see this. He gulped, hissing faintly against the pain in his head making him nauseous. If only he could just  _get outside…_

"OI! GET BACK HERE!"

Ichigo yelled out, a bellow of pain flying from his throat when rough hands fisted tightly in his hair once more and yanked him sharply backwards, the orangette having been caught when he had raced out from behind the couch towards the door in a mad rush for freedom.

"GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!" Ichigo screamed, biting his teeth against the thick skin of his father's wrist when the man moved to pull him back and cover his mouth.

Isshin let him go with a surprised yelp of pain, the man cussing violently as Ichigo grunted and fell forwards when he was promptly released. Over the sound of his father's yells he thought he could faintly discern the sound of a car approaching, but he didn't give it a second thought.

He rolled away from his father, Isshin swearing violently once again as he made to grab his son a third time.

" _SOMEONE HELP ME!_ " Ichigo cried out, now no longer caring if Grimmjow was coming to help him or not. If someone walking by outside could hear him…

" _HELP!"_

"ICHI!"

Something slammed close by – it could have been the door, but Ichigo was unable to determine anything for certain except the loud yell of his name and a flash of bright blue racing inside. Another bellow came from his father – this time one of surprise. Two other men spoke up.

"Holy shit!"

"'FORDT! GET ICHI!"

"You don't need to tell me that!"

Ichigo was panting, his fingers tightening against his head as he heard the scrambled snippets of conversation. He cussed faintly, feeling slightly dizzy but he was unable to move when that voice and the sight of unruly blue hair finally registered in his head and made him almost blank out.

_... Grimm?_

He heard another bellow from behind and he yelled as something moved to swipe at him and he jumped out of the way, Ichigo crying out as he tripped over and smacked his head into the side of the coffee table, a sickening thud echoing in his ears as he groaned and whimpered against the fresh wave of pain flooding his head. His eyes blurred and he saw faint beads of red drip down onto the carpet in front of him. His vision swam and he shook his head repeatedly to try and clear it up. Footsteps sounded next to his ear – making him wince against the overwhelming sound – and what felt like hands gripped his shoulders gently and pulled him quickly yet carefully into a sitting position, Ichigo being pulled against a warm chest.

He groaned, cussing against the pain shuddering through his body and trying to maintain enough clarity to focus on that quiet voice urging him to hang in there, to hold onto whoever it was that was embracing him. He fought back the urge to vomit, his head pounding unbearably. He reached out to hold onto the loose fabric of the man's shirt, warm fingers moving and wrapping around his own and keeping him steady as Ichigo's head lolled, groans of fatigue and confusion leaving his lips.

"Hang on… stay awake… you'll be… ok…"

Ichigo groaned again, his head falling forwards and burying against the neck of whoever it was talking to him. Something crashed from behind, something which sounded like angered yells and heavy thuds of a body colliding with the wall.

He was so delirious he couldn't even open his eyes. The arms around him tightened further, long strands of hair brushing his face as the person shifted.

"Grimm!"

Ichigo's brows furrowed faintly and he mumbled – it sounded like someone had called out  _Grimm_ for a minute…

"Grimm… jow?" He rasped out.

"Shh. He's here, Ichi. Don't talk." The man holding him murmured lowly. Ichigo mumbled again – his voice sounded familiar. He still couldn't see properly, he'd knocked his head harder against the table than he'd thought – he resigned himself to trying to remain conscious, to hang on as much as he possibly could… he had to see if Grimmjow really  _had_  come to help him. He had to…

Sharing a brief concerned glance towards the blue haired man currently pinning the boy's monster of a father against the wall, Yylfordt swallowed thickly and looked back down at the delirious teen in his arms, the blond working on ripping off the fabric of the bottom of his shirt to use as a makeshift bandage for the cut on the orangette's head. He sighed – the kid had passed out.

He shot his head back up just as another pained yell echoed around the living room.

"Oi! Grimm!" Yylfordt called out again, his eyes wide.

Grimmjow was panting, his expression livid as he stared directly into the face of Ichigo's father, the man pinned to the wall by his throat, his eyes bloodshot and the pupils dilated. Grimmjow sneered – this was the first time he'd seen Isshin personally, and he was certainly everything he was expecting. A wave of repulsion coursed through him as he caught a whiff of the foul scent of weed and alcohol. It stirred memories – unwanted memories from his childhood best left forgotten. Grimmjow's hand tightened further around the man's throat.

_I should fuckin' kill him._

He heard Yylfordt yell out to him again.

"We should call the police! I can understand you're pissed off and rightly so – but if you hurt that fucker any more then I'll have to bail you out of jail! I don't wanna stick around for that shit!"

Grimmjow grit his teeth, knowing that his friend was right. But he couldn't let this slide – not when Ichigo was lying there unconscious on the ground and  _bleeding_  for Christ's sake!

He settled on leaning in so he was eye level with Isshin's unshaven face – his cyan eyes gazing coldly into bloodshot brown. Isshin released a strangled garble of a protest in response, weakly trying to fight back against the hand keeping him in place. Grimmjow resisted the urge to throw up against the rancid scent of the man assaulting his nostrils.

He bared his teeth, his voice coming out as a low growl when he spoke.

"You see yer son over there?" He hissed, yanking Isshin's head harshly towards Ichigo's unconscious form nestled in Yylfordt's arms. Isshin's head lolled and an indiscernible grunt escaped his lips.

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed further and he tugged harshly on the man's greying hair, causing Isshin to cry out in pain. He ignored Yylfordt's warnings again.

"That's yer  _son_ , you piece of shit. It's a father's job to protect his own fuckin' flesh and blood – to look after 'im an' to support him!  _Not_  go around and fuckin'  _abuse_  him just 'cos yer life IS A SAD MISERABLE SHIT PILE!" Grimmjow's voice was raising, his words coming out as a yell towards the end of his sentence. Isshin whimpered and winced, still struggling faintly to get away. Grimmjow slammed him back against the wall.

"Grimm…"

" _SHUT IT, 'FORDT!_ " Grimmjow snapped. Yylfordt's eyes narrowed, the blond otherwise falling silent and looking back to Ichigo, staunching the bleeding cut on his head with the strip of his shirt he had successfully managed to rip off. Grimmjow turned his attention back towards Isshin.

"Because o' you his life's been shit! His an' his sisters'! What kind of sick fuck  _are you?!_ He's a brilliant kid who deserves all the love an' affection there is in this world! But what do you do? WHAT THE  _FUCK_  DO YOU DO?!" Grimmjow's yell echoed loudly around the walls, the man lifting his arm and punching Isshin cleanly in the jaw.

Isshin stumbled, crying out in pain as he feebly gripped his cheek as he slid back against the wall. Yylfordt cussed loudly, glancing around nervously to the still-open front door, as if fearing someone would walk in off the street and see what was going on.

"Jaegerjaquez! Calm the fuck down, man!" He hissed. "None of this is helping Ichi!" He motioned to the teen still lying limply in his arms.

Grimmjow turned around at this, the man panting faintly with exertion. Yylfordt froze, the expression in the blue haired man's eyes something which he had only ever seen once before. That same broken, saddened gaze which had torn the blond apart the moment he had first met the older male back in high school. It was the wounded look of someone who had just gone through hell and back.

Yylfordt felt his chest tighten painfully and he fell silent. He knew that Grimmjow was suffering just like Ichigo at this point – maybe even more so. It wasn't that well-known, indeed he and Szayel were perhaps the only two who knew the full story regarding Grimmjow's abusive childhood, and the fact that someone the guy cared deeply for was going through the same thing, and was currently hurt to such a horrifying extent in front of his very eyes…

It was too much like what Grimmjow had to go through. Yylfordt only hoped that the older man would take control of himself before he did something stupid. If he crossed the line now, there probably wouldn't be any going back.

The man in question quickly turned around, hiding his face from his friend as he rounded back on Ichigo's trembling father crumpled on the floor. He reached down, fisting his hand tightly in the man's hair once again, ignoring the whines and garbled cries as Isshin's head was yanked up. Grimmjow's face was expressionless, the man leaning in to gaze squarely into barely opened eyes. He saw the man before him trembling in fear, and it made him feel a sick sense of enjoyment knowing that that twisted fuck was finally getting what he deserved.

"I hate people like you." He whispered, his voice that same low growl. "You think that you can trample on others an' make them feel like shit 'cos that's the only way you can get yer rocks off at night. Yer a pathetic excuse fer a man, Kurosaki Isshin. So what if yer wife died? Get over it already, 'cos no matter how hard you grieve she's not comin' back. She woulda wanted you to be happy. She woulda wanted you to look after yer own kids." He shifted to harshly grab the man's jaw, Isshin's eyes bulging as he gazed petrified up into Grimmjow's narrowed cyan eyes.

"Ichi's under  _my_ care, you got that? Same goes fer Yuzu an' Karin. An' if you ever…  _ever_ take one step near 'em again…" He sneered, leaning down to whisper next to Isshin's earlobe. "… I'll make you pay."

Isshin's eyes widened further. Grimmjow grabbed his hair once again, bringing his head down and slamming it hardly against the wall as he stood up, Isshin gasping and choking out as the action resulted in a sickening crack of bone, Grimmjow smiling humourlessly as Ichigo's father tried to weakly nurse what was evidently a broken nose.

Yylfordt's eyes continued to gaze unblinkingly at the scene, his burgundy orbs wide as his fingers weakly gripped his phone. He'd never seen Grimmjow so angry before. Usually he would be outright vocal, but that was a façade. The only time he was truly angry was when he was quiet like this… and he began hurting people.

The blond sincerely hoped that the night wouldn't end with two people winding up in jail instead of just the one.

"I called the cops. They're on their way now." He spoke up quietly when Grimmjow turned around, his features once more resuming that previous broken expression as he gazed down at Ichigo's unconscious form.

Grimmjow nodded, swallowing the dry lump in his throat as he approached, kneeling down next to his friend and running a hand carefully through Ichigo's orange locks. Yylfordt fell silent for another moment, looking over at Isshin.

"I'm so sorry Ichi…"

Yylfordt looked back to Grimmjow, watching as the older man continued to gaze with that heartbroken expression at Ichigo's face. He moved to cup the youth's cheek with his hand, gently stroking his thumb against the teen's tanned skin.

"I can't work on patching his head up if you keep fondling him like that." Yylfordt cracked a slight grin, trying to somehow lighten the mood. Grimmjow chuckled drily, sighing as he leant back and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Yeah, sorry." He sighed. Yylfordt shrugged it off.

"Does he have a first-aid kit or something around?" He asked. Grimmjow looked at him.

"Yeah. I'll go get it. Sure I can trust you with somethin' like this though?" He quipped, standing up and quickly making his way towards the staircase. Yylfordt rolled his eyes.

"My brother isn't the only one with medical training you asshole. I'd wager I'm just as good as him, if not better." He called out as Grimmjow disappeared up the stairs. He heard a bark of forced laughter, the blue haired man reapproaching some few minutes later and handing the blond the pack of meds and bandages he had located. Yylfordt thanked him, already moving to grab what he needed from the pile. As he did so he chanced another glance to Isshin in the corner, who was watching everything with wide bloodshot eyes.

"What about him?" He asked quietly, nodding his head in the man's direction. Grimmjow narrowed his eyes, casting a hateful glance towards Isshin.

"If he makes one move from that spot I'll punch his fuckin' lights out." He growled. "You hear that?!" He raised his voice, his eyes continuing to narrow when the man whimpered again and shrunk against the wall, still holding his hands tightly to his broken and bleeding nose.

Yylfordt watched his friend closely, burgundy eyes carefully taking in the situation while the man continued to remain silent. Grimmjow noticed this, returning his gaze to his friend and raising an eyebrow at him.

"What? You gonna heal him up or stare at me all day?" He hissed. Yylfordt sighed, shaking his head and uncapping a lid of disinfectant.

"I hope you know what you're doing." He murmured quietly.

Grimmjow didn't answer.

He sat down, pulling Ichigo into his lap and sitting him up carefully as Yylfordt wiped away at the blood, Grimmjow's very heart feeling like it had been torn from his chest and then burnt alive right in front of him. Everything ached. He couldn't even think clearly.

He ran his fingers through those soft orange locks once again, trying his best to ignore the stabbing fear coursing through his chest.

He was close to hyperventilating. He grit his teeth and buried his face against Ichigo's neck, hoping beyond hope that the cops would hurry up and get here before he killed Isshin himself.

* * *

Low noises prodded at his ear drums, something which in his hazed state of mind he could only vaguely mark as voices.

His head felt like it was split open, his eyelids fluttering as faint groans of effort passed his lips.

"Coming… round…"

He mumbled, trying to shake his head clear of his nausea as the feel of hands gently pressing at his forehead assaulted his senses. He heard footsteps, and the continued low hum of conversation too far away for his muddled brain to make sense of. He winced, his breath hitching when those fingers taped something to his brow.

"Sorry kid."

Ichigo made some sort of noise of acknowledgement within his throat, a mumble of "s'ok" passing his lips as he finally found the strength to open his eyes. His vision was watery, the lights from above piercing his retinas and making him flinch back into the arms holding him. Careful whispers of "shh… easy… take it easy" sounded next to his ear, the tone a low, smooth baritone and somewhat calming to him. Ichigo nodded weakly, turning his head to face the sound of someone shifting to slide down next to him. He felt warm hands gently cup the side of his cheek. Almost unthinkingly, he leant into that reassuring touch.

"You ok Ichi?"

Ichigo blinked, his eyes continuing to fight against the blinding lights above.

"G… Grimm?"

He heard a sharp exhale of breath – almost one of relief – followed by a faint chuckle.

"Yeah it's me, Ichi. Thank god yer alright. How're you feelin'?"

Ichigo felt a smile form on his lips, his eyes slipping closed again. He moistened his dry mouth enough so he could rasp out his next few words.

"Pretty good… my head fucking kills but it's better than it was… who's touching me?"

"Ah shit, sorry. It's Yylfordt. Remember me, kid? I'm patching you up. Your head was bleeding pretty bad." That same smooth voice from earlier replied. Ichigo managed to turn his head a little, the blinding of his retinas subsiding enough for him to make out tanned skin and long strands of blond hair. Yylfordt smiled down at him, his burgundy eyes kind as was the grin on his lips. Ichigo found himself grinning back.

"Thanks." He replied. Yylfordt nodded, leaning down beside him to grab another bandage.

"Just one more and then I'll be done." He murmured quietly. Ichigo nodded, turning his head to find cyan eyes trained on him intently, Ichigo's stomach flipping momentarily at the proximity of his English teacher. He could feel his gaze softening somewhat and it annoyed him – but he remembered that he couldn't find it within his heart to be mad at him anymore. He had helped save him from his father.

Right now if he wasn't so injured he would have probably wrapped his arms around the bastard and hugged him for all he had. Those long fingers continued to gently cup his cheek and Ichigo found himself relaxing almost instantaneously, his smile softening at the unspoken words of apology passed between them. Grimmjow grinned – that wild smile and the relief within those blue eyes seeming to make all the tension just blissfully fade away.

A hand brushed over his eyes and obscured his vision briefly, Ichigo having to resort to closing his lids momentarily so Yylfordt could make the last finishing touches on pressing the bandage gently yet firmly to his forehead. He felt the fingers pull away, followed by a gentle pat on the back.

"There, all done." The blond spoke up airily. Ichigo opened his eyes again, gingerly touching his fingers to his brow and flashing a wide grin at the man next to him.

"Thanks again." He said quietly. Yylfordt smiled, already making to stand up.

"No problems Ichi. Just take care of yourself. If you hadn't called us I'd hate to think where you'd be now…" He sighed. Ichigo swallowed thickly, chancing a glance to Grimmjow. He felt his stomach churn at the dark look in cyan eyes, and for the briefest of moments the teen was scared to think about what had gone through the man's head when he called him.

At the same time though he was eager to find out what had happened to his father. One quick glance around the lounge room and the lack of the foul scent of weed told him that Isshin was no longer there. He heard muffled voices from outside and he turned his head, blinking and trying to focus in on what could possibly be causing it.

"The cops are out there... they took yer dad off an' they're tryin' to keep yer sisters calm until yer ready to see them." Grimmjow explained quietly, seeing where Ichigo's attention was directed. The youth looked back at him, his eyes slowly widening.

"Yuzu and Karin...?" He echoed dumbly. Grimmjow sighed and nodded.

"I gotta head back out there an' finish talkin' with them. Just take it easy, yeah? You may still need to go to hospital or somethin' so if you start feelin' dizzy again let 'Fordt know and we'll take ya right over there." He sounded exhausted as he stood up, Grimmjow casting one last concerned gaze down at Ichigo before clenching his jaw and heading off outside, Ichigo hearing his sister's voices as soon as he walked out towards them. He felt like a lump had formed permanently in his throat and he bit back the tears prickling at his eyes again, the orangette trying to piece together just what the hell had happened. He last remembered seeing the door open... Grimmjow come through... and he tripped and fell when he tried to get away from his father...

A quiet sigh from next to his ear drew his attention back to Yylfordt.

"You fell into the table over there. Do you remember that? You knocked yourself a bit too hard on the head." He murmured, checking over the bandages to make sure they were secure. "You were out for about half an hour."

Ichigo could only blink.

"Shit..."

Yylfordt gave a tired laugh.

"It certainly wasn't pretty, I'll agree with that. Anyway the cops took him off so hopefully that's the last we see of him. He better not decide to come see you again otherwise I'll join Grimm in beating the fuck out of him for what he did." He growled under his breath. Ichigo closed his eyes.

"Thanks..." He mumbled hoarsely. He couldn't bring himself to say anything else. Yylfordt sighed again and pulled back, the blond watching the conversations outside - seeing Grimmjow talking with the two police officers. It had been fifteen minutes after he and Grimmjow had arrived that the police had come over, and it had taken a fair bit of persuading on Grimmjow's part to get them to stay outside while he and Yylfordt had tended to Ichigo in the living room after Isshin had been detained and driven off. The kid's sisters had been brought over from school, and even now he could see their scared faces peeking in through the windows to try and catch some sight of their brother. He rubbed his hand over his face. To say this night was fucked up was a definite understatement.

A silence fell over the pair, Ichigo shifting a little to sit up straighter and biting back the cuss ready to form on his lips when he felt the ache spreading through his body. Looking down he was relieved to find that no noticeable bruises were forming on his arms or legs, so that was something he supposed. It was just his head which felt like shit. He glared at the table. Another minute passed and just as Ichigo was about to speak up to try and start some form of conversation they were interrupted by Grimmjow clearing his throat slightly as he walked back into the living room.

"They're gonna calm down yer sisters a bit first before letting them in. They're pretty shaken up. Christ's sake I still can't believe this happened... it's a good thing we had Szayel's useless brother here though. I wouldn't have been able to patch you up as well as he can otherwise." He forced a cheery laugh, Ichigo smiling weakly in response when Grimmjow had stopped in front of him, gazing down at the orangette with pain clearly visible in his cyan eyes. Yylfordt sighed his exasperation as he stowed the rest of the bandages back inside the first-aid kit on the ground.

"I'm not useless." He grumbled under his breath.

Grimmjow forced another chuckle, glancing up at the younger man.

"Whatever you say, Blondie." He murmured. Yylfordt gave him the finger and looked like he was about to retort again when he was stopped, the sound of his phone blaring quietly from his pocket. Yylfordt cussed, reaching down and pulling out his phone, casting an apologetic glance towards the other two as he stood up and turned his back, raising his cell to his ear as he walked into the kitchen.

"Cirucci? What's wrong babe? … Nah I'm out right now…"

There was a brief silence as Grimmjow and Ichigo watched him walk off, the two avoiding eye contact for a moment. Reaching up to idly press his hand to his forehead, Ichigo was trying to somehow form the right words to speak to break the silence when he was cut off – the blue haired man having beaten him to it.

"Ichi…"

Ichigo slowly lifted his head to glance at his teacher, swallowing the lump in his throat again when he caught sight of that broken expression. Grimmjow slowly, tentatively reached out a hand to cup it gently once more against the youth's cheek, his cyan eyes trailing over the fresh bandage over the orangette's forehead. Ichigo saw a brief surge of anger enter those sharp blue eyes.

"I'm so sorry…" He whispered. Ichigo shook his head, managing a faint smile to the best of his ability.

"No, I am. I've been an idiot this past month and I've been meaning to apologise." He paused for a moment, laughing feebly. He arched an orange eyebrow. "Kind of a fucked up way of getting a one-on-one isn't it?"

Grimmjow cracked a tired grin, sighing heavily and dropping his hand to the teen's shoulder.

"At least you apologised you cheeky bastard." He murmured quietly. Ichigo smiled. Grimmjow ran a hand through his hair, his expression melancholy as he gazed at the opposite wall.

"When you called me up I… I don't know what happened I… saw yer father an' I kinda lost control. I know he fuckin' deserves it but I may have taken it a little too far. 'Fordt was tryin' to make me get a hold o' myself but I… I still hurt him." He whispered. Ichigo blinked. He shifted a little closer to the blue haired man, his hand resting over Grimmjow's shoulder. Grimmjow lifted his head slowly at the action, his expression fatigued as he threw another tired smile the teen's way.

"His nose was banged up pretty nicely. Broke a couple o' bones in there I reckon. I wish I coulda broken a lot more… I know it's an awful thing to say but shit Ichi… I couldn't put up with that. Seein' you like that I… Jesus Christ I…" He couldn't finish, his voice dry and his eyes reddening. Ichigo remained silent as he listened to the older man speak.

"Just a broken nose? C'mon I was expecting a lot more." Ichigo chuckled quietly, his lips quirking into a soft grin. Grimmjow blinked, his eyes widening as he gazed at the teen. Ichigo returned his glance with a steady eye. "I don't blame you for anything. Thank you Grimm. I mean that more than I can say." He whispered. His fingers tightened their reassuring hold around Grimmjow's shoulder.

Grimmjow fell silent for a long moment, his mind swimming with thoughts of whether or not he should just take the kid in his arms right now and hold him for the rest of the fucking afternoon and then some.

"… Anytime Ichi." He managed to chuckle at length. Ichigo laughed, that same mischievous sparkle coming back into his eyes and highlighting those warm brown irises, the kid more or less completely back to his normal self. Even if his head was currently bandaged up.

Grimmjow felt the last of that weight fall away from his shoulders, and he probably would have slumped down in relief and definitely acted on that earlier plan of hugging the youth senseless if only those bandages weren't bothering him. He reached out and gingerly traced the side of the gauze.

"'Fordt's real good at first-aid but there's only so much he can do. If you start hurtin' anywhere or if there's a place he missed tell me right away an' I'll get you to the hospital alright?" He spoke up, his rough voice laced with heavy concern. Ichigo reached up to gently touch his forehead again, nodding as he prodded carefully at where he could feel the bruise under the surgical linens.

He nodded, looking back to Grimmjow.

"Thanks. I'm real glad you arrived here when you did Grimm… I know I just thanked you and all but…" He rubbed his eyes, cussing faintly as he felt the warm prickling of tears forming.

_Shit…_

He froze when warm arms reached out and pulled him against that muscled chest, Ichigo finding himself carefully embraced in his teacher's arms. Grimmjow remained silent, his eyes closing as he simply allowed Ichigo to fall into quiet sobs of relief against his shoulder, the teen's body shuddering faintly with the effort. He pat the youth on the back, drawing comforting circles against his skin – breathing in and allowing himself to calm down at the feel and scent of the youth in his hold.

"Shh… it's ok Ichi." Grimmjow murmured softly next to the teen's ear, reaching up and threading his fingers through his hair. Despite everything he found himself smiling.

"I'm real glad too."

Footsteps burst into the living room and the pair looked up when Yuzu and Karin rushed in, tears streaming down their faces as they saw Ichigo on the ground.

"ONII-CHAN!"

"ICHI-NII!"

Ichigo threw his arms out and caught his sisters as they all but bowled into his arms, hot tears soaking his shirt as the girls trembled against his chest. He bowed his head, gritting his teeth as he rested his cheeks against theirs, unable to speak or think anything except a sense of overwhelming gratitude that they were alright.

He vaguely heard the sound of someone else entering, a police officer no doubt as Grimmjow rose to approach him. Ichigo paid no mind to this, his arms tightening around his sisters and keeping them close to him, the pain in his head nothing compared to the relief in his heart. He kissed their brows and whispered to them to calm down, rubbing their backs as comfortingly as he could.

It wasn't long until he let the tears flow again.

They didn't stop.

 


	16. Confessions

"Dammit I need to go. You two gonna be ok here?" Yylfordt sighed as he walked back out to the lounge room, the blond running a hand through his hair and pausing in his tracks as he glanced up to see his blue haired friend in quiet conversation with the police officer, Ichigo meanwhile being held closely by his sisters on the floor. The orangette's tears had finally managed to cease... but the horror of the afternoon had visibly taken its toll on the teen as he whispered shakily to the twins.

Yylfordt sighed quietly, turning to look back at Grimmjow again when the older man strode towards him. The officer was left glancing around the lounge room, his hazel eyes roaming over the couch, the table and the wall, scribbling furiously away in his notepad with the pen he grasped in his fingers. Grimmjow's expression was weary, Yylfordt knowing that this night had been just as taxing on the English teacher as it had been for his student. The blond's voice was gentle as he spoke up again.

"Is he alright?" He gestured to Ichigo. Grimmjow gave a tired nod.

"Yeah." He murmured quietly. "The cop's gonna have to talk to the both of us when he an' his sisters have calmed down though."

Yylfordt heaved another sigh.

"Poor kid. He needs rest." He answered, looking down at Ichigo again. His brows furrowed in concern.

Grimmjow's smile was bitter as he also glanced back at the orangette. Ichigo still hadn't lifted his head from his sister's shoulders, both Yuzu and Karin still clinging to him tightly as they sniffled against his neck. It was heartbreaking.

"Tell me about it. All three of 'em do." He replied. No sooner had those words passed his lips had his cyan eyes glinted coldly with barely repressed rage... rage which Yylfordt knew only far too well was aimed towards the boy's bastard of a father the police had just carted off. The blond had to admit... all things considering, Grimmjow was handling himself pretty well. He knew for a fact that the only thing stopping him from repeatedly punching his fist through the walls was the presence of the police and Ichigo and his sisters.

He stood there a moment longer until he stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets, the blond turning to look back at Grimmjow.

"Take care of yourself, yeah? And also Ichi, but that's a given." He strode past the blue haired man and nodded towards the policeman as he approached the door. Grimmjow was left blinking, watching the younger man walk off until he roused himself and sighed heavily. He spared a quick glance to Ichigo and his sisters before jogging up to the blond, Yylfordt pausing to look back at him when he outstretched his hand to the doorknob.

It was a minute until Grimmjow answered, the man reaching up to rub the back of his neck tiredly again.

"Thanks, 'Fordt."

Yylfordt chuckled, his grin softening as he opened the door. He looked behind him at the three on the floor again, his eyes seeming to glint with something Grimmjow wasn't entirely sure he wanted to place.

"Just so you know I'm with you on this one, Jaegerjaquez." Yylfordt spoke up quietly, turning his gaze back to the blue haired man. His expression was now serious. "Remember what I said before, ok? You fuck this up and I'll kill you." He grinned again, walking out and closing the door behind him before Grimmjow could get the chance to react.

There was a brief silence, broken only by the faint grumble of cuss words coming from Grimmjow's lips as he rolled his eyes, walking back towards the centre of the living room and the policeman who even now had strode over towards Ichigo when he saw the teen slowly straighten himself up, grimacing against the dull thudding ache in his forehead as he settled back against the couch. Yuzu and Karin timidly clung to him, their eyes wide as they gazed first from their brother, to the cop, and then to Grimmjow. Grimmjow tried his best to give a reassuring grin, but all that formed on his lips was a pained grimace. He let his arm fall limply away from the back of his head, his brows furrowing in deep thought at Yylfordt's parting words. He didn't blink, or even let out the breath he'd been holding until the sound of the car's engine outside faded as the blond drove away.

He sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead.

"What was that about?" Ichigo asked quietly. Grimmjow shook his head.

"Nothin', Ichi." He replied, his voice slightly hoarse. Ichigo watched his teacher for a moment, giving a sigh of his own and chewing his lip slightly as he gazed at the policeman, his sisters still clinging to him. He didn't know how much time had passed – though the clock on the wall told him it was close to 4 in the afternoon. He just hoped this would be over and done with quickly. He was tired, and right now all he wanted was for him and his sisters to get some rest.

A clearing of the cop's throat drew their attention back towards the officer.

"I'll try and be as brief as I can, Kurosaki-san. I understand the evening has been most unpleasant for you."

_No fucking shit._

Ichigo tried his best to give a smile. From the corner of his vision he could see Grimmjow stride over to stand next to him, the teacher still standing upright as he crossed his arms over his chest. They continued to wait. Sensing their impatience the officer cleared his throat, turning his eyes back to his notepad and timidly writing away.

Inwardly Ichigo wondered if he was a new recruit. The faint pounding in his head stopped him from thinking any further, however. Sighing, he gripped his head.

"Now your teacher has given me his recount, Kurosaki-san... I'll just need to get a few words from you about what happened from your perspective and then I'll leave you. Are you quite sure you don't wish for an ambulance to come over?"

Ichigo shook his head, his arms tightening around his sisters as they glanced at him with concern.

"No, I'm fine." He answered quietly. He could feel Grimmjow gazing down at him with an expression which mirrored his sister's. He gave him a slight smile when the officer glanced down at his notepad again.

"Well, if you say so. Jaegerjaquez-sensei informed me that Granz-san there was quite well trained in medical assistance so I'll mark that as acceptable." The officer continued, shrugging his shoulders. He poised his pen over the paper, and his eyes found Ichigo's with a serious gaze.

"Whenever you're ready, Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo nodded, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath to calm himself.

He began his recount from when he arrived at home earlier that afternoon.

* * *

It had only been a day until the news about Ichigo's father had alerted the school, and since then the past week had been nothing but a blur of interviews, interviews and even  _more_ interviews. Ichigo had strived to attend his classes as much as possible, aiming to seek some form of normality in-between the hectic hell and source of direly unwanted attention his life had once again become. Grimmjow had done his best to ease Ichigo's discomfort as much as possible, keeping the remaining students and teachers off his back to allow the orangette some breathing space. Ichigo was deeply grateful, but a stabbing sense of guilt continued to gnaw away at him. He knew that Grimmjow was bending over backwards to try and sort everything out, and there were days when he would come into the classroom looking like he'd been awake the whole night, which in most cases was exactly what had happened. Though how he managed to keep his laidback attitude and trademark Cheshire grin, Ichigo had no idea.

The worst of it was that there was literally  _nothing_ he could do to help. He felt useless, and he clenched his fists involuntarily as the thought flickered across his mind. He wanted to do  _something_ dammit! He sighed again, knowing that throwing a fit in today's English class really wouldn't go down well.

Instead he returned his thoughts to the endless texts and calls he had received from his friends since then. Even now he could feel their gazes boring into him as Grimmjow spoke up from the front of the classroom, the blue haired man tiredly writing out today's notes on sonnets. Ichigo shifted a little in his seat, keeping his head down as he scratched his pen across the paper, Rukia beside him doing likewise though the orangette was painfully aware of her succinct glances in his direction every five minutes. She, Inoue, Ishida, Renji and Sado didn't know that he had been hurt – both Ichigo and Grimmjow refused to let that little detail be made public knowledge anytime soon – but they knew that Ichigo's relationship with his father was icy at the best of times. And for Kurosaki Isshin to somehow escape detainment and then arrive on his son's doorstep that same night…

The very thought sent a shiver up Ichigo's spine for not the first time since that day. He hurriedly pushed it to the back of his brain, trying his hardest to occupy himself with his note taking.

And in doing so Isshin's words came floating back to him, haunting him as they had done for well over a week now.

_"A friend paid me a visit and helped me leave for a while..."_

It wasn't even the abuse that horrified Ichigo anymore and made his blood run cold. It was that very sentence. Even the police hadn't been able to get a lead on just who this 'friend' was who'd gone and helped Isshin escape. Whenever he or Grimmjow would ask them, they always received the same response. There had been many people who had visited Kurosaki Isshin - old workmates and fellow doctors back from when he had used to run the family clinic - and it would take time to interview each of them. Grimmjow had cussed aloud that the police couldn't give a fuck about how it happened and they were offering excuses just to keep up appearances that they were actually doing their job, and Ichigo found himself very inclined to agree.

However that was neither here nor there this morning - sonnets  _were_ on the other hand. He lifted his head back to the blackboard, the lesson for the morning almost finished.

Grimmjow had resumed his place in his seat, the man crossing his legs over the table as he folded his arms behind his head and waited for the class to finish writing. He caught Ichigo's gaze and offered a faint smile, Ichigo returning it and then giving a soft sigh as he placed his pen down. Today's homework was already written up there underneath the explanation of what a sonnet was - it was very simple, just write one sonnet about whatever topic came to mind, and they would be checked next lesson.

The silence in class continued for another few moments until the bell went, Grimmjow remaining seated as everyone else rose and stood from their desks.

"Remember I'll be checkin' them next lesson, guys. Have fun an' enjoy the rest of yer day."

Voices buzzed loudly as the students erupted into conversation, and they all offered cheery waves as they strode past the teacher and out the door. Ichigo waved to his friends, glancing at them and mumbling to them that he would catch up with them at lunch time. They gave him fairly concerned looks, but he ignored it. Right now he wasn't in the mood. Seeing it as a losing battle they sighed and nodded, leaving along with the rest of the class. Inoue hung back, but even she eventually had to concede herself to being gently pulled along by Ishida in the direction of the classroom door.

Ichigo watched them leave, Grimmjow doing likewise from the desk. As soon as they had gone and the room was vacant except for them, the sensei turned his gaze to the student.

"You alright, Ichi?"

Ichigo managed a faint smile, though even Grimmjow could see it was clearly forced. He sighed, the teacher nodding and standing from his desk, grabbing his books as he did so. He beckoned for the teen to follow him. Ichigo felt too tired to even question where it was Grimmjow wanted to take him, so he followed along without complaint. He fell into step beside his teacher, and they were silent again as they strode down the bustling corridors.

"I'm just gonna stop by the staff room real quick fer some coffee an' then I'm headin' off to my office. You can come along if ya like. I'll tell Muguruma I kept ya back after English if he asks why you weren't at PE." The blue haired teacher spoke up. Ichigo nodded.

"Thanks Grimm."

Grimmjow waved it off.

They descended the stairs and picked their way through the throngs of students and teachers alike, Ichigo waiting patiently outside the staff room door when Grimmjow went on inside. He was leaning against the wall for about five minutes until the older man came back out, and Ichigo found his lips widening into a full-fledged grin when he saw the two steaming hot styrofoam cups of coffee held in his teacher's hands. Grimmjow chuckled, seeing Ichigo's mood lighten considerably, and he passed the teen his coffee.

"What'd I do to deserve this?" Ichigo teased, sounding very much like his usual self as he gratefully accepted the hot caffeine, sighing contently as he sipped it when they resumed walking down the now emptier hallways. Grimmjow snorted, taking a sip from his own coffee before replying.

"Nothin' that I know of. You were lookin' pretty tired though, Ichi - thought this'd fix you up fer a bit."

Ichigo gave a chuckle of his own, sipping some more of his coffee. It certainly made him feel more awake than he had been a few moments previously, that was for sure.

"Cheers."

Grimmjow smiled.

"Anytime, ya cheeky bastard."

They began their trek towards his office, which was located on the bottom floor at the right hand side of the end of the building, where the rest of the literacy and numeracy department offices were. It took them a few minutes to reach it, having taken their time with sipping their coffee along the way. When they had turned the corridor down towards the right after entering the office space, various other marked doors rising along either side of the walls, they reached the door marked with Grimmjow's name on the plaque and after a moment of turning the key in the lock, Grimmjow opened it and ushered Ichigo in.

As soon as he stepped inside Ichigo realised that this was the first time he was actually seeing Grimmjow's office. The place was neat and tidy with a desk and computer by the window which overlooked the lake out the back of the school, and the cabinets were neatly stashed by the walls with the drawers closed. Various news clippings of sports teams hung on the walls, and - Ichigo noted this with some degree of amusement - along with them were a couple of photos of the high school basketball team that Grimmjow had been a member of.

He walked up to study them when Grimmjow had closed the door behind them and went to dump his books on his desk, going around and slumping down in his chair and letting out a long sigh of relief.

"I thought that class'd never end."

Ichigo smiled, turning around and walking over to his friend and sitting down in the chair opposite him. As he did so he tried to swallow down the nerves, without much success.

He'd been feeling uptight about it since he'd finally apologised to Grimmjow last week. He didn't know if it was the knock to the head which fucked his emotions all over the place or not... but one thing was for certain, he'd found it increasingly more difficult with each passing day to just leave it at that. He felt he owed Grimmjow another explanation, because for Ichigo... once just wasn't enough. He felt that even if he apologised a hundred times over it still wouldn't come close to cutting it with how truly grateful he was that Grimmjow wanted to still be there for him, still talk to him, still be his  _friend_.

He sighed and downed some more of his coffee. Grimmjow's attention had been turned to the computer, the teacher entering his username and password on the system log-in screen and he waited patiently for the PC to boot up, his fingers tapping idly away at the desk as he did so. He glanced back at Ichigo and gave a faint smile.

"You feelin' ok Ichi?"

The last week had been so busy it had only just occurred to Grimmjow that this had been the first time they'd been able to have a proper conversation since that night. He felt the anxiety come crawling in the more he studied the teen's tired face, and Grimmjow felt his gaze become increasingly concerned as he sat up straighter in his chair. Ichigo nodded, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, thanks Grimm. You know this has been the first time since... well... that I've actually spoken to you properly." Ichigo forced a laugh, though it was painfully obvious the smile on his lips didn't reach his eyes. Grimmjow continued to watch him for a moment.

"Y'know I was thinkin' that same thing." He said at length, chuckling faintly and leaning back more against his chair. He picked up his coffee and drained it before expertly chucking the empty cup into the bin by the wall, a proud "nailed it!" falling from his lips as he pumped his fist. Ichigo snorted and glanced over at the bin for a minute.

"Yer head feelin' ok an' all that now, too?"

Ichigo looked back at the blue haired man and gave another nod.

"Yeah. Well, apart from a headache I had this morning but it was just a standard headache. I'm fine." He replied. Grimmjow looked visibly relieved.

"Well thank fuck fer that." He grinned widely, though inwardly his thoughts weren't as pleasant.

Even though Isshin had been taken away… it still didn't change the fact that Ichigo was the one made to suffer here. He cussed faintly under his breath.

_If only we'd gotten there sooner._

He blinked - speaking of "we", the thought of Yylfordt reminded him that that was another thing he'd have to speak to Ichigo about at some stage. He rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn't sure how he would tell the teen that... after all he still never fully explained to Ichigo what Yylfordt was doing there that night in the first place. He could tell the orangette had been wanting him to explain, but thankfully he'd never brought it up. Considering he owed the kid a lot more than Ichigo himself probably realised, it was only right that Grimmjow be the one to finally tell him.

He didn't think Ichigo would react badly... but he still needed to know why the blond had rocked up on his doorstep with Grimmjow that night Ichigo had called him up.

"So uh... 'Fordt rang up the other night an' asked how you were..." Grimmjow could have almost kicked himself.

_Way to start a conversation, Jaegerjaquez._

Ichigo blinked, seeming rather taken aback at the sudden topic change but also intrigued at the same time.

"Really?" He asked, his brows raising. Grimmjow nodded, turning back to his computer for a moment as if it would give him the courage he needed to continue down this road.

"Yep. Szay too, actually. He told me he'd called you aside after one o' yer classes a couple o' days ago. He still wanted to know if you were ok."

Ichigo smiled, the teen nodding as he picked up his coffee and took another sip of the now-lukewarm liquid. He hadn't forgotten - in fact he felt rather grateful to the Biology teacher for taking the time to ask him how he was. That evening when he'd returned home from school the orangette had walked inside with a large smile on his face, despite everything that had happened earlier.

"Yeah he did. I wasn't expecting him to... in fact I kind of wondered how he knew about it..." As he said this, Ichigo's words trailed off. Grimmjow chuckled.

"Don't ask. I don't know how he manages it either. He's either extremely nosy or he has special powers." He snickered. Ichigo found himself cracking a wide grin at this.

"You're an idiot, Grimm."

Grimmjow winked at him.

"The whole school knows about it, Ichi." He sighed, his tone now bitter. There was another prolonged silence.

"Those two really are different, aren't they? I mean for twins you'd think they'd be more alike."

Grimmjow was roused out of his thoughts by Ichigo's voice, the teen speaking up conversationally from where he was leaning back against his chair. Grimmjow gave a small, but amused, smile.

"Yeah I guess so." He shrugged. "Well, they'd like to think so anyway. If you really wanna rile 'em up though just keep remindin' them how alike they  _really_ are. That always gets them goin'." He chuckled. Ichigo scoffed a faint laugh in response.

"I'll remember that for next time." He smiled. Grimmjow chuckled again.

"Tryin' to fuck with the Granz brothers? That's a suicide mission Ichi." He rose an eyebrow. Ichigo's smile widened, the teen shifting to sit up straighter and look his sensei directly in the face. His brown eyes glinted with amusement.

"Sounds like you're on more of a suicide mission than I am if Yylfordt's words were anything to go by." He replied, his own eyebrow raising. Grimmjow laughed wearily.

"You uh... heard that, huh?" He winced.

Yylfordt's parting words from that evening seemed to echo painfully in his skull.

_"You fuck this up and I'll kill you."_

It was a light-hearted comment meant as a seemingly innocent joke... but the seriousness in the blond's eyes when he said that to Grimmjow still cut him deeply. Hell he probably deserved it if it came to that.

Ichigo's smile slowly faded, the teen's expression now becoming serious. Grimmjow seemed to sense the change in mood, a lengthy sigh escaping his lips as he too straightened up and faced the younger male, his cyan eyes sincere.

"Ichi I—"

"No Grimm, let me apologise first." Ichigo interrupted, the youth rubbing the back of his neck with his hand and taking a shaky breath. Grimmjow fell silent, the older man slightly confused but he remained studying the teen's face carefully regardless as the youth worked up the courage to continue with what he had been yearning to say for the past month and a half.

"I know I already said this last week but... I need to say it again. I… know I've been a bit of a dick these past four weeks and I shouldn't have done… well…  _that_ … that night. Uh… I know I overreacted and you were right to just leave like that. I mean, no matter if you're drunk or not it's still pretty fucking terrifying having one of your students just outright kiss you isn't it?" He paused, a lopsided and sheepish grin forming on his lips. Grimmjow managed a faint chuckle, the blue haired man eyeing the teen fondly.

Inwardly his stomach lurched uncomfortably. He had a sneaking suspicion what Ichigo was going to say to him next... and even though on the inside he was screaming for the kid to come out and say it so he wouldn't have to be the only one to deal with this, at the same time... he didn't want him to. Because if he did, there wouldn't be any going back. Ichigo seemed to have the same thoughts as his teacher, because his expression was heavily conflicted and he wrung his hands nervously in front of his lap. He had bowed his head, and with each quickened breath parting his lips it almost sounded like he was on the verge of hyperventilation.

"There was also... um... something else I wanted to say. Kinda been meaning to for a while now since then... I don't really know why but... it's been eating away at me for ages and I just want it to stop already, heh..." His laugh was forced, and when Ichigo lifted his head his brown eyes were pained. Grimmjow interrupted him, not wanting the kid to continue any more if this was affecting him so much. If he wanted to say something, he could do it when he finally felt comfortable with it. Not before then.

"Ichi, you don't have t—"

"I want to."

Grimmjow was momentarily stunned, the English teacher immediately falling silent. Those three words had been uttered with such hard determination it was enough to entirely put him off his guard.

Seeing that his words had gotten through, Ichigo took another deep breath and continued.

"So uh... this is really awkward and there's no real easy way for me to say this. But when you think about it nothing was more awkward then actually kind of putting the moves on you before ... but, Grimm I... I don't think it was entirely the alcohol that... that made me do that. You know we've been friends for ages now and... you've always been there for me kind of thing and... a lot of people would blame it on hormones or some shit like that. Or that it's a phase and it'll pass over in a couple of days or something. Despite what others may say I'm not an idiot Grimm. You know that. I… I know I feel  _something_ for you." Ichigo paused again, swallowing thickly and doing his best to avoid his teacher's gaze. His cheeks were dusting faintly with red, and the youth willed himself to try and calm his pounding heart. It wasn't easy – his palms were already sweating in their tightly clenched hold over his kneecaps.

In front of him Grimmjow continued to remain silent. Ichigo didn't know whether that was helping in the long-run or not. But since he'd gotten this far, he might as well keep going until the end. He'd already lost what little dignity he had anyway by allowing himself to admit this to his teacher, after all. In fact he'd be lucky if Grimmjow didn't burst out the door laughing his ass off.

"I don't even know why I'm saying this, to be honest. I guess... I guess that incident with dad really kind of made me stop and think. You know I went to sleep that night and I thought about everything and considering the fact that we're kind of cool about last month now, I might as well get this over with. I was really hurt that day though, y'know? I was such an idiot…  _such_ an idiot… It's wrong. Fuck I know it's wrong. You know how people say you can't help who you're attracted to? I'm ashamed as all hell. But you've been there for me the way that no one else has Grimm… I'm more grateful to you than words can say. Hell I kinda owe you my life here. But most of all you've… been the best friend I've ever had. So I'm coming straight out and telling you all this because I don't think friends should hide anything from each other. I… really like you Grimmjow.  _Really_ like you." Ichigo exhaled a shaky breath, reaching up a hand and rubbing it over his eyes, trying to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat.

The silence coming from the man in front of him was nerve-wracking. Ichigo was well aware his breathing had started to become ragged, his fingers trembling over his knees. He slowly opened his eyes, willing himself to use all of his remaining strength to glance at his teacher. He knew he was set for disappointment – he might as well face it head on instead of living under a false hope for the rest of his life.

So he was instead rather surprised when he was met with a gentle expression greeting him, Grimmjow's lips pulled into a faint smile. Ichigo blinked, feeling like his stomach had dropped from inside him momentarily.

"Ichi…" Grimmjow began, shifting a little so he was sitting upright and running a hand through his hair. "If this was an assessment task fer romantic poetry you'd fail, you know that right?" He grinned, his smile wide and his eyes glinting mischievously. Ichigo groaned, picking up a nearby pencil and throwing it at his teacher's head. Grimmjow barked out a laugh, dodging and sniggering to himself when the pencil hit the window and then fell to the floor with an audible thunk.

"Bastard." Ichigo mumbled under his breath.

Grimmjow chuckled, his smile fading slightly as he carefully observed the teen's face once more. He could see the strain those words had placed on the youth, Ichigo obviously suffering under the great weight that confession had over his mind. He reached out, his fingertips brushing lightly against the warm skin of the orangette's cheek. Ichigo blinked, the boy freezing momentarily as he warily glanced up to meet his teacher's gaze.

"What?" He croaked out. "You know if you're going to laugh at me Jaegerjaquez can you hurry up about it? I'm dying enough as it is over here."

Grimmjow sighed, shaking his head as he leant closer. His cyan eyes were sincere as he looked directly into uncertain warm brown orbs.

"I'm not gonna laugh at ya, Ichi." He spoke up, raising his voice slightly as Ichigo made to protest. "But I  _will_ give you detention if you call me by my last name again ya cheeky bastard."

Ichigo's lips twitched into a faint grin.

"C'mon you can do better than that, sensei. Your threats suck about as much as your lectures on Shakespeare."

Grimmjow's eye twitched, the man cussing faintly as Ichigo laughed.

"Shut up Ichi I'm tryin' to talk to ya here." Grimmjow grumbled. Ichigo's grin quickly faded.

There was a brief silence, Grimmjow still not having removed his hand from Ichigo's cheek. He looked back at the teen, the very atmosphere in the office itself seeming to mirror the seriousness on the teacher's face.

"I ain't gonna laugh at you Ichi… because believe it or not… I've been wonderin' how to say the same thing to you fer the past month myself."

If Ichigo was struggling for words before, that was nothing compared to the complete overwhelming speechlessness he found himself encountering now. His teacher's words didn't register for a few moments, the teen wondering if he had perhaps misheard. When the look on Grimmjow's face didn't change, Ichigo had to finally admit to himself that he hadn't misinterpreted those words at all.

He suddenly felt quite empty inside – torn between wanting to make sense of what he had heard or just wanting to not question anything else for the rest of the day. He questioned it regardless.

"… Come again?" He rasped out. For a moment he looked... scared.

Grimmjow swallowed thickly, a brief surge of fear rushing through his chest.

_Calm down Jaegerjaquez… calm down…_

"Ichi?" He questioned. Ichigo visibly took a deep breath.

"Why? Why did you act so freaked out about it back then and… and tell me…  _that_ … just now?!" Ichigo rasped again, his eyes wide. Grimmjow exhaled sharply, pressing his hand to his forehead.

"Ichi, I—"

"What are you trying to pull?! Are you making fun of me or something for confessing that I'm actually into you?! If this is your idea of a joke it's a pretty fucking poor joke, Grimm!"

"Ichi…" Grimmjow's eyes narrowed. Ichigo continued, ignoring him.

"—I don't think you realise how much I need this – how much I need just one thing to be constant in my life. I want that thing to be you, Grimmjow! Hell you're the only person who's managed to keep me sane! Though I don't think I've ever been really sane to begin with… liking guys, and not just any guy, a guy who happens to be my  _fucking teacher_. Now THAT'S just fucking crazy—"

" _Kurosaki!_ "

Ichigo shut his mouth, the teen jumping slightly from the raised call of his last name from his sensei. Grimmjow reached out, his long fingers caressing either side of the teen's cheek and forcing the orangette to raise his head up to look the older man directly in the eyes. Ichigo tried to shy away, but Grimmjow wouldn't allow it.

"Ichi… just calm down an' let me  _explain_ fer Christ's sake!" The older man pleaded urgently. Ichigo gulped, falling silent but otherwise resigning himself to nodding his confirmation. Grimmjow sighed again, resting his forehead against the teens' and continuing to hold the orangette captive with that intense cyan stare.

He ignored Ichigo flinching shyly again.

"Ichi… if you think that after everythin' I'm just gonna treat this as a joke, then you really must be a dumb brat. I told you I care about you… fuck, I wouldn't be doin'  _ANY_ of this fer anyone if I didn't genuinely care fer them an' their wellbeing! In case you haven't noticed Kurosaki, I also wouldn't be riskin' my neck by allowin' myself to get close to one o' my students… no… my best fuckin'  _friend_ in the first place!"

He let go of Ichigo's cheeks, instead gripping the teen's shoulders loosely. He knew how those words sounded when he had said them aloud – hell, he knew that he had just risked his entire masculinity in sounding like he was some lovesick schoolgirl or housewife – but that didn't matter. What mattered now was that Ichigo understood just  _how_ much his teacher was willing to give him. He'd even give himself if he could. That thought made him pause for a moment, and he settled on refocusing on Ichigo in front of him, staring unblinkingly into wide brown eyes as if to somehow get that out of his head.

Ichigo seemed to have fallen back into a speechless stupor, only the slight shaking of his shoulders on Grimmjow's part snapping the orange haired boy out of it. His lips trembled as he gazed unsteadily into deep cyan eyes.

"That was… really cheesy." He whispered, his lips quirking into a faint grin. Grimmjow barked out a relieved laugh, walking around his desk and reaching out and wrapping his arms tightly around Ichigo's back as he pulled the youth into a warm embrace.

"Cheeky bastard." He muttered, his lips gently brushing against the skin of Ichigo's neck as he spoke. Ichigo felt dizzy, his mind swimming with so many exalting thoughts that he might as well have burst into a million tiny pieces. He felt warmth pool down his cheeks and he internally cursed as he realised he was on the verge of tears again, though for perhaps the first time he felt that this time… it was alright to cry. He closed his eyes, burying his face against Grimmjow's neck, inhaling the almost intoxicating scent of the man and feeling the warmth of that muscled chest envelop him.

_Life is so fucked up._

He smiled.

"Thank you… I mean it I…"

"Shh… it's ok Ichi. Calm down yeah?" Grimmjow's rough voice near his ear was comforting to him, Ichigo finding himself at a loss to do anything except follow his advice and allow his emotions to overflow.

He settled on tightening his grip against the folds of the man's shirt, trying to hold the blue haired man closer to him than was physically possible in their current position. Grimmjow was murmuring softly to him, rubbing his back and whispering calming words, giving the teen all the comfort he had ever wanted. Ichigo almost laughed again.

There was a gentle silence, broken only by the ticking of the clock on the far wall. Ichigo was brought out of his sense of serenity slowly by the low rumble of his teacher's voice next to his ear once again.

"But Ichi… listen to me carefully, ok?"

Ichigo nodded, his eyes squeezing shut as he took a deep breath to steady his nerves. Grimmjow pulled away slowly, his head raising so his lips were almost pressing to the orangette's forehead.

"You  _do_ realise that somethin' like this… if we get caught…"

Ichigo nodded, gulping audibly. Grimmjow's hold around him tightened.

"An' it's… too soon… despite everythin', alright? I mean graduation is comin' up an' you'll finally finish yer schooling an' then Yama-jii doesn't care what happens with teachers or students after that from that point on."

Ichigo's brows furrowed and he slowly lifted his head, his expression conflicted.

"So just leave it until I finish school? Is that it?" He whispered. Grimmjow nodded, though the man's expression was also less than pleased at this course of action.

Ichigo lifted a hand to grip his forehead. He exhaled sharply.

"I don't… know if I can do that." He mumbled. Grimmjow's hand reached out to carefully push Ichigo's fingers away from his head.

"Yer gonna have to Ichi. I risk a lot of things in my everyday life, but yer education an' safety is somethin' I am  _not_ willing to have jeopardised." He paused for a minute. When he spoke up again, his voice was hoarse. "'Sides… I won't be able to look after ya if one of us has to leave the school."

Ichigo allowed the smallest of smiles to grace his lips, the teen giving a half-hearted laugh.

"You make it sound like I can't take care of myself." He pointed out. Grimmjow scoffed.

"Oh I'm quite aware you can give me a run fer my money at any time Ichi, but the fact o' the matter is that you were injured not too long ago an' I'm the one payin' fer all this shit." He retorted, his eyes twinkling. Ichigo rose an eyebrow in amusement. He glanced to the floor.

He allowed himself these few minutes afforded to him to think over the words his teacher had spoken. He was trying his hardest to keep his breathing even, Ichigo fighting to keep himself from jumping up and crying out in disbelief and euphoria lest he might manage to cause himself another injury somehow.

_He just confessed to me…_

His mind did a double-take.

_What? Jaegerjaquez – that stick-up-his-ass bastard of an English teacher?_

His brows furrowed.

_Well… insanely attractive stick-up-his-ass bastard of a teacher._ He almost snorted aloud at that, his gaze trailing up to the figure of the man still standing in front of him. The teen felt his stomach flip and his heart almost flutter – though it wasn't because he was staring at him.

_No…_

Ichigo absentmindedly toyed with his hands across his lap.

_It's because he…_ HE…  _confessed…_

He swallowed the invisible lump in his throat.

_To me…_

_ME._

He felt light-headed.

Now that was certainly not something you heard every day.

Ichigo was pulled out of his revelation by the sound of footsteps, and he managed another small smile of gratitude as Grimmjow walked back to his desk and sat on the edge of it, facing the teen and sighing wearily as he ran a hand over his face. He closed his cyan eyes, the man clearly drained both physically and emotionally.

The orangette wasn't feeling far off it himself. They sat in companionable silence for a while. Presently it was Ichigo who broke the silence again. He cleared his throat, drawing Grimmjow's attention back to him.

"Grimm I… there's something else I've been wanting to ask you for a while…" He began slowly, finding the other man's gaze. When he saw that he had the utmost complete attention set on him he continued. "I mean there's not really an easy way to ask this as well but… were you always… y-know?" He gestured somewhat awkwardly, hoping his teacher would understand what he was referring to, embarrassing as it was to try and word aloud. Grimmjow cracked a tired grin, evidently understanding Ichigo's unspoken inquiry. He gazed fondly into those warm brown eyes, watching the youth closely for a moment before shrugging.

"Gay? Yeah I guess. Dunno. It wasn't really until high school I found out." He murmured, his gaze taking on a faraway expression. Ichigo looked at the older man with renewed interest.

"Yeah… last year o' high school. God those were some weird fucking days." Grimmjow chuckled drily, the man's grin widening slightly as he glanced back at the orangette. Ichigo raised his brow again.

"Lemme guess. Your English teacher, right?" He teased. Grimmjow rolled his eyes, reaching out and playfully cuffing the youth on the back of his shoulder. Ichigo snorted, almost falling out of his seat as he ducked at the last second.

"No, ya cheeky bastard. I'm not as clichéd as you." The sensei grinned, winking at the younger male. Ichigo scoffed.

"Who was it then? Someone else's dad? The principal? … Janitor?" Ichigo asked, his smile growing with each increasingly stupid suggestion he made. It was worth it seeing Grimmjow becoming more and more exasperated and thoroughly unimpressed.

"That the best you can come up with? Christ's sake I'm meant to be teachin' you creativity in class Ichi. Not piss-poor insults worthy of a fuckin' pre-schooler." The sensei admonished. Ichigo shrugged, his eyes glinting expectantly at the older man. Grimmjow sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Nah it was another student." He admitted. "Younger than me by five years but in terms o' school work he was right up there. Got put into the top classes 'cos he was a smart little shit. We were in English together. At first it started out as some kinda curiosity… experimentin' with new stuff I guess. Then I dunno… we sorta realised that it felt… right. It didn't last though but he's still one of my closest friends to this very day." He spoke up, rough voice calm and collected and pleasant as if he was merely talking about the weather.

Ichigo on the other hand felt his mouth drop.

"Wait… you don't mea—"

Grimmjow chuckled.

"I know he doesn't look it when you actually talk to 'im face to face, but 'Fordt really is smart when he wants to be." He grinned. Ichigo was silent.

"… Holy shit." He rasped. Grimmjow barked a loud laugh.

"Yep. Yylfordt Granz, that blond bastard. He an' I were together for a couple o' years after that. Broke it off when we went to college 'cos o' differing degree paths an' we didn't have a lot of time fer each other." He shrugged. Ichigo blinked, trying to make sense of all of this. He would have never have guessed it…  _never_ …

"Wait so… did his brother know about you two?" He asked, his eyes wide. He was practically sitting on the edge of his chair in anticipation. Grimmjow looked at him.

"Szayel?" He asked. Ichigo nodded. Grimmjow chuckled. "Yep. Nothin' really gets past him though, he's a sly bitch. Ah don't look like that Ichi – he didn't give a shit. He was actually glad his big bro had finally found someone. He's really supportive though you wouldn't think it."

Ichigo mulled this over, feeling like his mind had just been both figuratively and literally blown.

Grimmjow's expression turned contemplative.

"I dunno how things are with 'Fordt an' his girlfriend now though… I mean she's alright I guess… only met her once at a housewarmin' party before the school year started. She's a bit of an opinionated bitch but she's got tits an' a pert ass so what she lacks in personality Cirucci makes up for in appearance. And if 'Fordt likes that stuff then good on 'im. Who am I to judge? Just as long as I don't get stuck with her fer more than five minutes again." Grimmjow groaned.

Ichigo blinked again.

"Wait a minute… he has a girlfriend?" He asked, feeling thoroughly confused. Grimmjow nodded.

"He swings both ways, Ichi." He replied, an eyebrow raised and a rather evident expression of amusement etched onto his chiselled features. Ichigo scowled, throwing another pencil at the man's head again and grumbling when the English teacher smirked and caught it effortlessly.

"One of these days I swear to god…" Ichigo muttered under his breath. Grimmjow snorted as he placed the pencil back on the desk.

"I'm still kind of curious as to why Yylfordt was there with you though, last week..." Ichigo mused after a minute when his scowl faded from his face. He arched an eyebrow when Grimmjow visibly froze.

"Grimm?"

Grimmjow cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Uh... well he came over earlier before you rang an' we had a bit of a talk..." He made a face. He avoided Ichigo's gaze.

Ichigo frowned.

"Did something happen?" He asked. Grimmjow shook his head, but then seemed to change his mind half way and gave a stiff nod.

"Yeah... talked about, uh... well... actually he started beatin' some sense into me about how I was actin' around ya that month." He chuckled wistfully. Ichigo blinked in surprise.

"Then uh... well... there was somethin' which kinda came up..." Grimmjow grimaced, trying to summon the courage to say what he wanted to say earlier. He froze when he saw the slow smile etch its way onto Ichigo's lips. He narrowed his eyes. "Oi..."

Ichigo chuckled, the teen cocking his head to the side and gazing at his teacher with amusement.

"You know if you're trying to tell me something came up in the bedroom, I don't wanna hear about it Jaegerjaquez."

Grimmjow's mouth fell open like someone had come out and punched him in the face.

"It wasn't the bedroom!" He exclaimed indignantly, though he dropped his gaze and shifted uncomfortably on the desk. "It was the couch, but..." He froze, his head snapping up when he realised what he'd just admitted to. And what surprised him even more was the look on Ichigo's face, the orangette laughing when he saw his teacher try to awkwardly worm his way out of this one.

"Bastard!" It was Ichigo who had to dodge the pencil being thrown at him this time. He sniggered, straightening back up and flashing Grimmjow a wide grin.

"Hey, relax Grimm! You honestly think I give a shit? You just told me you were together with him at one point in time after all." He wiped the tears of mirth from his eyes, choosing to cheerily ignore the grumbled cusses being thrown his way by the sensei.

"Yeah, well... glad ya find it so amusin'..." Grimmjow muttered. After a minute he sighed. "It... didn't mean anythin', Ichi. I don't exactly know what I'm tryin' to prove here but... it didn't mean anythin'."

Ichigo's smile softened slightly.

"I believe you, Grimm."

Grimmjow gazed at him carefully for a moment, almost as if he was afraid to let those words sink in. When he saw no sign of Ichigo's expression changing, the teen's words having sounded nothing short of genuine, he exhaled slowly in relief.

"Thank you." It was strange how for someone who didn't normally show sincerity that Grimmjow was being quite sincere a lot recently. But when it came to Ichigo... he found none of that mattered. He'd be even more sincere if he could.

"Still though… I never would have guessed it… I mean… you two…" The teen mumbled out after a minute when he had managed to get himself somewhat under control, becoming quite interested in his laced hands sitting in his lap. Grimmjow watched the youth for a moment, sighing as he reached out, his long fingers caressing over Ichigo's own and causing the orangette to lift his head and gaze at him once more.

"Ichi… I just told ya I cared about ya. You wouldn't believe how hard it's been to restrain myself around you for… god knows how long. I want this too but we have to wait." He repeated, his tone firm so as to brook no further argument. He appeared to have accurately guessed Ichigo's train of thought, as with those words the teen's expression swiftly deflated.

He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against his arms as he folded them behind his neck.

"I know Grimm I… really do but…"

"But what? Ichi I don't think you really understand what it is you want yet. That's also partly why I wanna hold back on this fer a bit, at least until you can sort that one out." Grimmjow answered, his tone stern. Ichigo frowned, opening his eyes to fix a steady stare on his teacher.

"I don't understand what it is I want yet?" He echoed. Grimmjow pulled a face, realising how harsh those words now sounded. He rubbed the back of his neck again.

"Sorry but… well… ya know what I mean, Ichi." He grimaced. Ichigo sighed.

"I do. But let me ask you a question, Grimmjow. How old were you when you first started going out with Yylfordt?"

Grimmjow blinked.

"Eighteen. Why?" He replied. Ichigo smiled.

"And did you ever think you didn't know what you wanted at that stage? You're not the type of guy to think things through before acting. You wanted him. So don't say that I don't know what it is I want yet… because I'm pretty damn fucking sure Jaegerjaquez." The orangette finished, his smile becoming quite smug.

Grimmjow gazed at him steadily for a moment. He chuckled wearily.

"Bastard." He snorted. Ichigo grinned. Grimmjow's expression quickly shifted – the seriousness in his gaze so uncharacteristic that Ichigo found himself almost stammering momentarily, wondering if perhaps he  _had_ taken things a little too far.

The older man had absentmindedly begun stroking his thumb across the top of Ichigo's hand, the man's touch soothing to the teen as he carefully gauged the next few seconds with bated breath.

"Ichi…" Grimmjow paused, swallowing the lump in his throat before continuing, "I believe ya, I really do. It's just… are you sure you want to get involved with… well... someone like me? Yer life is hectic. There's so much shit goin' on and… there's yer education to think of an' that whole thing with yer dad… there's so many things that could go wrong. A relationship like… what yer askin' of from me isn't gonna be the answer to all yer problems an' I… it'd  _kill_ me if somethin' happened to you because o' this—"

He was cut off by Ichigo continuing to gaze steadily into his eyes, the youth's expression unwavering. Grimmjow knew that any excuse he made now was just a lost cause, but he wanted to make sure that the orangette knew what he was doing.

_I don't wanna be the cause of any more hell with him..._

"I was… scared before, Ichi. When I left ya that night. I… I didn't wanna hurt you." He blinked. Where the hell had  _that_ come from? Grimmjow could have kicked himself in the head. It didn't seem to matter either way though as Ichigo undoubtedly knew what the blue haired man was referring to. His lips pulled into a faint smile, the teen chuckling softly.

"So that's why? You were scared? Can't say that's something you hear every day when it comes to you." He rose an eyebrow. Grimmjow groaned, rolling his eyes and cuffing Ichigo playfully around the back of the neck. Ichigo snorted, his smile fading as he shifted forwards to lean his head against his teacher's chest, closing his eyes as he felt the rhythmic rise and fall of the taut muscle under his cheek. Grimmjow stiffened, his eyes watching the youth closely. His breath had hitched and he exhaled sharply, seeming to forget the use of his limbs for a few seconds.

Eventually he managed to calm himself, using the opportunity to thread his fingers soothingly back through Ichigo's soft strands of orange hair. He heard a soft sigh escape the teen's lips.

"I'm not gonna lie, Grimm. I'm scared too. About this, about my future, about Yuzu and Karin… about dad… I just… I just need something,  _anything_  to be normal… I don't care what it is. Even if the rest of the world goes to hell and I'm the only one left sane in all this that'd be enough for me, y'know?" He croaked out.

Grimmjow closed his eyes.

"Yeah. Can't tell ya how many times I've thought that same thing." He muttered. Ichigo chuckled humourlessly. A slow smile crept on Grimmjow's lips, the blue haired man still stroking his fingers almost absentmindedly through Ichigo's hair.

"That feels nice." The teen mumbled.

"Huh?"

Ichigo shifted so his lips weren't muffled against Grimmjow's shirt.

"I said that feels nice. Back when… mum was still here… she'd do that to help calm me down after I'd had a shitty day in school." He repeated. Grimmjow's grin widened.

"Did you just compare me to yer mother?" He snorted derisively. "I'll have you know Ichi that I do  _not_ intend to be the chick in this relationship."

Ichigo scoffed, lifting his head and quirking an eyebrow at his sensei.

"But you  _do_ admit that we're gonna have a relationship?" He pointed out. Grimmjow blinked.

"I thought I'd been sayin' that fer the past fifteen minutes? Christ you need to get yer ears checked, Kurosaki." He quipped back.

"No, all I heard was some half-assed excuses saying you were too scared to be forward about this." Ichigo replied. Grimmjow fell silent.

_Well. Shit._

He didn't answer.

Ichigo watched his teacher closely, his eyes taking in the vivid swirling of emotion stirring within those vibrant cyan eyes. He sighed, making to sit back. He knew he was forcing the older man into this, but this wasn't something he could put aside so easily. He vaguely mused if the knock on his head had made him bolder over the course of the past week – or made him even more of an idiot than he had been before. Oh well. It wouldn't be the first time.

He was about to stand up when long fingers wrapped around his wrist and held him in place. Ichigo gazed questioningly at Grimmjow.

The man's expression was still conflicted, though there was a visible determination in his features.

"Where do y'think yer goin'?" He spoke up, a blue eyebrow raising. Ichigo wasn't spared a moment to reply, the teen finding himself being frozen in place as that hand moved up to cup against his cheek again. He stopped breathing momentarily.

"Grimm?" He whispered.

"Yer right. There – I said it. Yer right, Ichi. Hell you always were. I said I also wanted us to be together, an' that's exactly what I mean. In every sense o' the word. But… I'm not gonna be forward about it. Not yet at least. I also mean it when I say I want to wait… yer still in  _school_ , Ichi. If you think I'm gonna be some kind of sick fuck who takes advantage of someone when they're this close to graduating, then you're sadly fucking mistaken. I'm not that type of person. Get yerself outta school, yeah? Then…" Grimmjow paused, taking a deep breath. "Then we'll see. Ok? But fer now…" He trailed off, hoping that he wouldn't have to say any more for Ichigo to catch his meaning. Thankfully the orangette understood him.

"… Alright." He whispered at length, giving a heavy sigh. He managed a faint smile. Grimmjow nodded his head, looking quite relieved. He stood up from the desk, locking his arms around Ichigo in another warm embrace. The teen found himself grinning, the pleasant buzz of that moment seeming as if it wasn't going to fade away for quite some time just yet.

"You know I'm going to hold you to that, right?" He spoke up when they pulled away, Grimmjow blinking in confusion at the teen.

"To what?"

Ichigo smiled.

"That promise of yours just then."

Grimmjow barked out a laugh.

"Hey! I always keep my promises!" He snorted. He snorted louder when Ichigo gave an amused nod. "Oi don't look at me like that. Ok fine, so I don't exactly keep many promises unless I can be bothered, but as far as you're concerned... I intend to keep every damn one of them. That satisfy ya or do I actually have to give you a proper detention? You called me by my last name like three times today after I told ya not to." He snickered.

Ichigo burst out into loud laughter at this.

"Damn it. I thought I was so close to getting away with it too." He teased. Grimmjow grinned widely.

"Far from it, Kurosaki. Now get yer ass back to class otherwise I'll kick you out myself." He winked at him, his tone quite jovial.

Ichigo chuckled, waving his hand to emphasise that he got Grimmjow's point, and after wrapping his arms around his teacher in another warm hug, he closed his eyes and whispered by his ear.

"Y'know I'm actually really glad how this all turned out, all things considering. That was killing me on the inside to admit all that." He gave a shaky laugh. Grimmjow's gaze softened and almost without thinking he pressed his lips to the side of Ichigo's cheek, his fingers threading through those spiked orange locks before he pulled away from him.

"God think about how much worse it was fer me." He barked out a hoarse laugh. Ichigo's grin returned and he stepped back, playfully throwing his middle finger up at the older man.

"Yeah, yeah. See you later, Grimm." He called out, already making his way to the door. Grimmjow crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against his desk and eyeing the teen fondly as he retreated.

"You too, Ichi. I'll give you a call later, yeah?"

Ichigo's smile was infectious as he nodded, and even as he closed the door behind him Grimmjow was still left standing there for a moment longer. He exhaled sharply, releasing the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. He looked at the clock, checking the time before moving to sit down at his desk. He ignored the computer and his work, leaving them untouched in favour of resting his elbows on the table and his chin in his palm.

Those past twenty minutes or so had gone by as if in a blur... and all that Grimmjow could remember from that entire conversation were those expressive brown eyes and the smile which spread across Ichigo's face when they'd just confided in one another that this was something they both wanted... no matter how wrong it was.

He exhaled sharply again, Grimmjow closing his eyes.

_How the hell'd it ever come to this?_

Even he didn't know the answer to that one. But what he did know... was that his heart felt lighter, and absolutely nothing right now could take that good feeling away from him.

And it was all thanks to one orange haired cheeky bastard.

He chuckled, rubbing his hands over his face and then stretching his arms above his head as he swivelled around to face the computer. Just as he was about to open his email he paused, a thought striking him. He still hadn't replied back to Yylfordt.

He reached into his pocket to pull his phone out, bringing up the blond's contact number and typing out a text. He found that he really didn't have to think too hard about what to tell his friend. Smirking when he read over his words some thirty seconds later, he felt quite satisfied.

_Ichi's much better now. Everything's sorted out with us. And 'Fordt? If you kiss me again I'll kill you._

He chuckled, pressing send.

He turned back to the computer and resumed his work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Concerning future updates:
> 
> I will be leaving in a couple of weeks' time to go to Japan for a student exchange program and I won't be back until mid-July. Because of this there will be no updates for the next four months. I'm annoyed at having to put this story on such a long hiatus too, but the fact of the matter is I simply won't have any time while I'm away to continue writing this while studying.
> 
> I hope you will all understand and continue to stick around and wait for the next time I will be able to update - which, if all things go well, should be around the end of July, if not the beginning of August.
> 
> So I just want to say a huge thank you to you all for enjoying this fic - it really makes me feel delighted beyond words at the response I've gotten for this story, and I am in no way intending to give it up any time soon :) Education just happens to be more important :P
> 
> I hope to see you all again for some more Sensei adventures when I get back home! :)
> 
> Until then, take care!
> 
> \- iJapan


	17. IMPORTANT: THIS STORY IS NOW ABANDONED

Hi everyone, first of all I would like to express my gratitude for the continued support to this story.

Unfortunately I would also like to announce that due to ongoing assignments at uni and a lack of muse to continue this story I will have no choice but to keep this fic on **indefinite hiatus** until I can find time, whether it be in the near or far future, to continue writing.

I know this is not something many of you would like to hear, but alas I just simply can't find any time right now in my life to keep up with this.

I am angry at both myself (after all I DID say that I would post at the end of July/beginning of August when I got back from Japan **which I have**, but clearly that update hasn't happened yet) and at the amount of work I have to get done, and I realise there is no one to blame but me.

I also realise that an author's note full of excuses wasn't exactly what anyone wanted to see when they saw this story finally get updated.

I apologise greatly, but like I said… I do have my reasons, and as of right now there is nothing I can do about any of it. I only ask that you all understand, and I hope to get back into finishing this off whenever I am allowed the time and muse to do so.

Thank you. Until then, stay safe everyone and good luck with whatever things you have may have going on right now!

-iJapan

* * *

**HIATUS ANNOUNCEMENT UPDATE 19/01/2016:**

**This story is no longer being updated and as such is now officially abandoned. I am terribly sorry for the news but I no longer have any interest in Bleach or its characters, and as such I consequently have no further desire to continue writing this story.**

**Thank you for your support and understanding, and I wish I could have given you all better news. Sadly it's just not the case.**

**It's been a wonderful year and a half writing this fic for you all - and my continued thanks to everyone who has stuck with me on this for such a long period of time.**


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